New & now

Timeless terrazzo! Check out this beautiful flooring making a comeback in Malta

The composite material originated in 16th-century Italy as a way to reuse stone offcuts

By Francesca Vella 11 July, 2024

If you’ve ever entered a typical Maltese townhouse, you’re likely to have encountered floors referred to as ‘terrazzo’, which are making a comeback in local architectural design.

These floors are characterised by chippings made of marble, quartz, granite or glass set into cement, creating smooth, hard-wearing flooring that has visible coloured fragments embedded into its background. This composite material originated in 16th-century Italy as a way to reuse stone offcuts but is now synonymous with architectural style.

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by The Lazarus Club (@thelazarusclub)

This type of flooring was very popular in Malta during the post-war construction boom, as it was a cheap and durable solution for the humid conditions on the island. Before terrazzo became popular, traditional cement tile-making methods were used to create the coloured Maltese tiles often found in hallways and entrance halls of older buildings around the islands.

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by VICALVI (@_vicalvi_)

Now, both terrazzo and these unique tiles are all the rage again in the recent appreciation and revival of traditional elements of Maltese flooring, and can also be found in modern buildings around the island.

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by VICALVI (@_vicalvi_)

In fact, in 2020, terrazzo was even featured on an international level at London's Surface Design Show in ‘The Terrazzo Garden’, a project that combined the efforts of local terrazzo manufacturers and architectural design.

Are you a fan of the terrazzo style?

Written by

Francesca Vella

Francesca has always felt most at home in a cinema or theatre, particularly if musicals are involved. She loves to read, write, and share about her experiences of both the fictional and the real world.