Warren G. Harding Presidential Library and Museum, Marion, Ohio

In many ways, museums are monuments – tributes to a shared history and sense of heritage. The Warren G. Harding Presidential Library and Museum in Marion, Ohio, which was originally commissioned to open in September 2020 – prior to being delayed by the pandemic – to coincide with the 100th anniversary of President Harding’s election, needed to evoke that sense as a monument to a figure who once stood at the head of the republic. Terrazzo, with its timeless beauty and sense of permanence, was the natural choice to serve as a centerpiece to that tribute.
 
“Terrazzo was versatile enough to meet the needs of the project,” said Alex Johnson, Vice President of the Ardit Company. “The main field and primary accent colors were customized to enrich the overall design intent.  The added mother-of-pearl allowed for a depth of design not attainable with other flooring options.”

A presidential seal for the lobby, designed in terrazzo, was the centerpiece of the approximately 1800 square foot project, designed to match its appearance during Harding’s time in the presidency between 1921 and his death in August 1923.  The designs and colors were also set to match that period.
 
The corridors for the building were two colors of terrazzo—a field color separated by a color accent band at the column lines. At the columns, the coved base was thickened to 7/8ths of an inch to allow for a wood trim finish on top of the base.

With all of the artistic concerns, it would have been a challenging project even in the best of circumstances – and with the pandemic, it was hardly the best of circumstances.
 
“The floor tile was delayed significantly – 7 weeks – due to COVID,” Johnson said (the company also handled installation of tile and carpet for the project).  “It also had a big impact on the pre-cast terrazzo base, but we were able to switch gears and produce the base in-house, which saved many weeks of uncertainty on whether it would be available.”
 
The final product, however, speaks for itself – beautiful, seamless, and easy-to-maintain terrazzo floors. The Harding Presidential Center will provide a destination for years to come – well-designed, well-built, and a testament to a shared history that will stand the test of time.

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