Award-winning terrazzo floors transport guests to the African Safari
The owners of Kalahari Resorts have a passion for Africa. Todd and Shari Nelson and their family have traveled across Africa – even climbed Mt. Kilamanjaro – to inspire the experience they’ve created for families and convention guests at their indoor Waterpark resorts.
Families arrive at the Wisconsin Dells, WI location, swimsuits packed, ready to slide down the 270-foot Elephant’s Trunk waterslide and play in Crocodile Cove, when they’re greeted with the magic of Africa at every turn. They see African art on convention center walls, hear music from the streets of Capetown, browse original African crafts in the gift shop, and marvel at the most amazing floors they’ve ever seen.
Look Down, Be Amazed
A graceful giraffe herd, zebras strolling the plains, a flock of flamingo, and life-size elephants meander throughout the resort as terrazzo masterpieces transporting all who enter the space to the Dark Continent. The floors use more than 40 colors of tinted epoxy resin combined with marble, clear resin, torpedo sand, glass and mother of pearl. Grazzini Brothers Flooring Contractors of Egan, MN installed the floors using the Creative Edge Terrazzo Tek system to enable the intricate designs that earned top honors from the National Terrazzo and Mosiac Association’s Honor Awards.
Terrazzo is an ancient Italian flooring technique that produces beautiful and durable flooring, perfect for a high traffic space like a Kalahari resort. Creative Edge technology makes terrazzo installation easier, quicker, and more cost effective than ever before, and allows designers to achieve their creative vision in breathtaking detail.
A Beautiful Result
Installed over an existing stained concrete floor, which had been a challenge to maintain, epoxy terrazzo was specified for its design capabilities, durability and easy maintenance. The traditional art of terrazzo involves marble chips in a slurry with hand-bent metal dividers. The complex details in this floor were created using waterjet technology which delivers precision metal dividers, intricate design detail, and use of the metal as a design element. When viewed from above in the three-story atrium, the reflective, textural materials and gorgeous colors make the wildlife images below appear to leap off the floor in three-dimensional detail.
We are so proud of our partnership with the designers, architect, contractors and the Nelson family who worked together to create this one-of-a-kind floor. It is delighting everyone who sees it and contributing to the Kalahari mission of educating guests about the places, culture and wildlife of Africa, while fostering economic growth for the people of Africa through business and philanthropic partnerships.
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