Raising the Flooring BenchMARC

Johannesburg’s brand new retail and office complex THE MARC worked with Flowcrete Africa to create a stunning floor that consists of sparkling terrazzo systems weaving around the mall’s walkways.

THE MARC is named after its location in the heart of South Africa’s financial district, as it is on Maude and Rivonia Corner in Sandton CBD. The project’s architects, Boogertman + Partners, wanted to build a facility that reflected the area’s fashionable, modern and energetic atmosphere.

Getting the floor area right was central to achieving this aim, as it is one of the biggest surfaces in any shopping centre and so plays an important role in setting the look and feel of the environment. To achieve this the architects knew that they would have to choose a floor finish that conveys a contemporary, decorative aesthetic and that would be able to maintain this look even after extensive use and wear.

Initially the architect opted for tiles, due to the cheaper initial cost of this material, however after seeing examples of what could be achieved in a shopping centre using the seamless resin terrazzo system Mondéco, they quickly changed their minds! Following consultations with Flowcrete Africa’s team of resin flooring experts as well as test samples being put down and analysed, THE MARC’s architects specified a bespoke, eye-catching Mondéco Earth floor.

Three complementary colours were chosen and applied in bands and blocks across the shopping centre’s main walkways. Light reflective and decorative additives are included within every Mondéco floor to create a glittering, dappled aesthetic.

1,865 m² of Mondéco Earth in Polar Mist was selected as the main backdrop colour for the floor with 840 m² of Light Grey and 550 m² of Mid Grey used for adding interest and accents into the finish, particularly along the floor’s edge and for breaking up the main colour with curving shapes.

The floor’s design included a cone-like area of wooden planking in the mall’s central atrium, which was bordered by the resin terrazzo systems. The floor finish also had to incorporate blocks of carpet by the mall’s entrances, which would soak up any water or dirt walked in from outside.

The durability of Flowcrete Africa’s seamless resin terrazzo solution meant that THE MARC could rest assured that its floor would be able to withstand the heavy foot traffic, high heels, food and drink spillages as well as the inevitable scuffs, scrapes and stains that floors in busy retail areas inherently face. The impervious nature of Mondéco Earth means that it is very easy to clean, which helps the mall’s staff to keep the floor area looking its best at all time.

In addition to the Mondéco Earth, 374 m² of Peran STB in Light Grey was applied on levels 15 and 16 of the development. Peran STB is a decorative and durable epoxy resin floor coating made up of colour stable quartz granules sealed within a clear resin binder. 

Away from the public facing areas, 7,000 m² of the self-smoothing epoxy resin floor finish Flowshield SL 1000 in Mid Grey was applied throughout all the tank rooms and back of house areas thanks to its robust nature.

The architect’s behind THE MARC are founding members of the Green Building Council of South Africa, and so it was important that the new site be designed and constructed in as environmentally sustainable a manner as possible. Mondéco Earth was ideal for this, as its long-life span avoids the need for an early flooring refurbishment and the environmental impacts that this would incur.

Flowcrete Africa has an extensive amount of experience supplying high-end floor finishes for prestigious, large-scale commercial developments. In addition to this project, the resin flooring specialists have also recently worked with Benguela Cove, Sasol Recreation Club and the Constantia Uitsig Wine Estate.