A premium decorative flooring solution from Flowcrete was selected by internationally renowned architect Zaha Hadid for the Nanjing Youth Olympic Centre in China.
Considered the most complex construction in China since the 2008 Olympics’ Bird’s Nest stadium, the new Nanjing Youth Olympic Centre was constructed especially for the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games hosted by Nanjing in August this year.
The highly stylised design of the building meant that the floor area of both the lobby and music hall had to combine high-end aesthetics with the strength to withstand substantial amounts of foot traffic.
Flowcrete China won the tender for the flooring installation thanks to the impressive work executed for prestigious clients such as Shanghai APM, Galaxy Soho and Zinoro.
Part of the global resin flooring specialist Flowcrete Group Ltd, Flowcrete China began by demonstrating the appearance and functionality of its Mondéco Earth system to the designers on an impressive 40m² mock-up of the final floor.
The sample proved that the quality of Flowcrete’s resin flooring system surpassed the alternatives put forward by several domestic and foreign competitors, and became the basis for Flowcrete China’s selection by Zaha Hadid for the project.
The Nanjing Youth Olympic Centre needed to be completed within a strict time period, which meant that Flowcrete China’s team of licensed applicators had to work night and day to get the job done on schedule. The installation was additionally challenging because of multiple agencies at work on the project site.
Flowcrete China installed a total of 1700m² of the attractive terrazzo flooring system, Mondéco Earth in the lobby area and another 1900m² of the seamless, epoxy floor finish within the building’s music hall.
Designed to provide architects with the flexibility to create bespoke, shimmering designs across a venue’s floor area, Mondéco Earth was used to its full aesthetic potential by Zaha Hadid to create a smooth almond coloured surface with an eye-catching arrangement of rich brown squares dynamically dispersed across the floor.
The floor finish matched the colour and pattern of the surrounding walls and roof, artistically connecting the interiors and reinforcing the building’s fluid design style. Flint and granite aggregates incorporated within the floor’s resin matrix create a luxurious glittering lustre underfoot.
Often installed in environments where aesthetics, durability and hygiene are of paramount concern, Mondéco Earth terrazzo floors are easy to clean and maintain with excellent abrasion and impact resistance, making them perfect for a building that needs to maintain its appearance in the face of large numbers of visitors.
Flowcrete has worked on some of the biggest and most high profile global projects, supplying their flooring systems to South Africa’s Soccer City stadium ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, as well as London’s Emirates and Wembley Stadiums.
Flowcrete China and its licensed contractors delivered a stunning floor on time and against all odds despite a tough schedule, to the client’s complete satisfaction.
