Terrazzo Workshop: A visit at the Haus’s temporary studio

In ancient times, in the town of Terzo in Italy, while local marble was quarried for sculpting, bits of marble flew into the air and settled on the ground. The carts that transported the sculptures crushed these fragments into the floor, which led the local workers to pour calcium over it to smooth the surface. Thus, almost by accident, a new flooring style with a “mosaic” appearance was created, which we still use today and know by the name of “terrazzo.”
Visitors are invited to an activity focused on the ancient “terrazzo” flooring, once a symbol of luxury and wealth, which later became associated with old, poorly maintained apartments, and today is experiencing a resurgence in popularity.

In this activity, we will learn about the history of the material used for flooring, wall cladding, surfaces, stairs, and even as a design element in counters and sanitary fixtures (and we’ll also explore the Greeks’ claims that the Italians took credit for its invention). We will identify the stones that make it up, such as volcanic ash (a material that no longer exists), calcium, clay, lime powder, limestone, and marble, which give it such strength and durability. We will go through the stages of creating the floor, do a demonstration of casting and polishing together, and observe the work process at Liebling Haus: the challenges in balancing repair and conservation, the studio work involved in casting new tiles, and matching their shades to those preexisting in the Haus.
Instructors:

Omer Barzel-Galil: Owner of Goldfire – Studio for terrazzo, resin and custom work
Tom Ben Zaken: Owner of Nomad – a mobile studio for restoration and art

Workshop duration: two hours; Cost: 80 ILS; No prior knowledge needed