Terrazzo tiles, a Maltese product, have been a local household design staple for generations. Indeed, every local has either lived in a house, or visited someone’s living quarters, which incorporated this element.

Now, it’s come under an international spotlight thanks to its showcasing at the 2020 Surface Design Show, held in London between between 11^th and 13^th February 2020.

The Terrazzo Garden, the protagonist of international firm Vicalvi Contacts’ Love Terrazzo stand, saw the merging of manufacturers Helmann Vella Ltd with architecture and design brand Mizzi Studios. Featuring a series of heightened terrazzo columns infused with nature elements and exhibiting a contemporary colour scheme, the Terrazzo Garden proved an interesting take on the traditional Maltese element.

“Terrazzo tiles are an integral part of our company history as they were first crafted by my grandfather and his brother in our original plant in Mgarr back in 1954” said Hugh Vella, the Director of Operations, adding that these designs are part of the company's international exports.

Owen Farrugia, the Director of Sales and Business Management had this to say about their product: “Architectural Terrazzo offers a solution where the unique material which is produced locally can be customized and transformed to the desired form. Being traditionally constructed using marble, quartz, glass, and granite off-cuts, terrazzo offers considerable sustainable advantages in addition to its visual and tactile quality," said Owen . 

The Terrazzo Garden makes use of five blocks of terrazzo in five unique colours. Each of the pre-cast terrazzo columns were created through specialist cutting and faceting of large-scale blocks in Malta, with facets being water-jetted to achieve their final smooth cylindrical appearance.

The Halmann Vella team collaborated closely with Mizzi Studios, who designed the installation: "We knew we wanted to be as experimental as possible," says Mizzi Studio Director Jonathan Mizzi. 

Jonathan continues that: “By introducing colour, height variation and the integration of organic elements, we knew we could create something really distinctive and unexpected. We wanted to put forward not just a beautiful showpiece, but an interactive space that people felt compelled to inhabit – something that visitors would want to explore through sight, smell and touch”.

Absolutely stunning work!