How Artistic Flooring is Reflecting Architecture

Flowcrete is contributing to the latest interior design trend by providing artistic flooring that reflects the architecture of the host building.

Architecture can be described as an expression of cultural principles that have been manifested in a deliberate design, often using technological advancements pertinent to the time of the build. This is why the design of buildings appear to get more creative as technology advances, and why historic architecture is held in such high regard due to the sheer skill needed in the absence of these technologies.

More and more often, cities can be identified by their skyline alone thanks to the interesting and unique architecture of buildings. Examples include the Empire State building in New York, the Gherkin in London and the Bank of China in Hong Kong.

With such impressive exteriors, it is no surprise that designers are looking to reflect this in the interior design as well. As Kurtich and Eakin (1993) once said, an “interior architecture” is applied to the inside of a building as design elements are carried to the exterior, distinguishing a “holistic creation”. This all-encompassing design not only provides continuity, but also a sense of bringing the outdoors in, and reminding visitors that they are part of something larger.

The Arte S buildings were set to alter the skyline of Penang in Malaysia forever. With the rippling exterior design and unique glass-fronted PODs set into the construction, these buildings surely stand out and provide a talking point all on their own. What makes these buildings even more impressive is the designer’s choice to continue the ripple aesthetic within the interior as well.

With the aim of replacing reality with fantasy, curves and ripples can be seen everywhere in the lobby from the rounded chairs and stools to the demarcation used in the flooring. As well as looking visually attractive, the line markings, created using Deckshield UV Linemarker from Flowcrete also work to separate the light and dark grey hues, as well as the hot pink colour that spreads from the floor to the stairways of the building.

For the flooring, 382 m² of Flowtex PT, a heavy duty, epoxy screed with high impact resistance was used, coated with the self-smoothing epoxy resin Flowshield SL 1000 in Steel Grey and striking pink hues. As well as being aesthetically pleasing and complementing the lobby furniture beautifully, this floor finish is suitable for areas of high footfall, trolley and rubber wheeled traffic, which are likely to be experienced in a busy lobby area.

For further continuation, the same flooring systems and colours used in the lobby were used in the PODs, as these areas provide residents with a communal area to entertain guests.

This flooring system from Flowcrete is extremely easy to clean meaning that the floor finish in both the lobby and POD areas will maintain a fresh, bold and bright visual for an extended period of time.

In a similar vein, Hackney Town Hall undertook an innovative flooring refurbishment in its atrium area in order to create a space for entertainment and events. The Grade II listed building required a modern flooring system that reflected the heritage of the building, and used the highly decorative seamless terrazzo system Mondéco Classic to achieve this.

The three custom colours chosen by the client matched the interior design scheme and were separated by inlaid brass strips, which effectively paid homage to the original 1930s art deco style panelled ceilings throughout the Town Hall as well as the building’s exterior façade.

This traditional flooring design neatly disguised the modern underfloor heating system Isowarm, which was applied along with the early drying heavy duty Isocrete Fast K-Screed layer from Flowcrete.

Whereas the Arte S and Hackney Town Hall have utilised grey hues and demarcation to mirror the respective constructions, textures can also be experimented with to bring a little of the outdoors inside.

The Menai Science Park, based on the isle of Anglesey in North Wales, UK has taken this approach by specifying textured flooring for the reception area that mimics the building’s exterior.

As well as looking just like the stone walkways in the external landscape, Rustik Natural Stone from Flowcrete provides added slip resistance thanks to its texture, as well as noise reduction, helping to keep visitors safe and also minimising sounds that could distract those working in the space.

In addition to its attractive aesthetic, Rustik Natural Stone is hard wearing and extremely versatile, meaning that it can be laid in bespoke patterns and styles in areas that need extra durability. In this case, the design of the flooring is a direct continuation of the white ‘ribbon’ architecture that is found on the exterior of Menai Science Park.

Throughout the building, crisp, modern white and light grey Peran Comfort has been used as a nod to the forward-thinking and innovative work that Bangor University encourages within the Menai Science Park, or M-SParc as it is also known.

Peran Comfort is a matt, self-smoothing polyurethane-based floor coating with excellent abrasion and chemical resistance properties, ideal for minimalist, contemporary environments.