Mercy Hospital, St. Louis, MO

How can terrazzo be installed in a busy hospital and complement its existing architectural design? Ask Kevin Rickman of Missouri Terrazzo.

Missouri Terrazzo’s major challenge on the Mercy Hospital project in St. Louis was to install at 3/8” epoxy terrazzo, in 6 colors, with multiple radius designs, in multiple phases while keeping a very busy hospital open and functioning. The 20,000-plus square-foot project was installed off and on for a three-year period.

“Scheduling and phasing were a major part of this project,” Rickman said. “Protection was a key detail as we worked around offices, elevators, escalators, and other types of floor finishes.”

Four of the colors are mixed with a combination of size and various glass and marble aggregates. They’re separated by flowing 1/8” zinc strip that were shaped and set on site. Areas of terrazzo near the chapel had to be poured-in-place in unique shapes and designs.

The stairs and stringers on a slight radius were installed along with a 12” high, 1” thick epoxy base throughout the project. Missouri Terrazzo had to be exact in its field templates in order to have 12 existing columns, which included precast caps, fit precisely.

Replacing an existing vinyl floor, terrazzo became the flooring finish of choice due to its longevity and ease of maintenance.

“The strip patterns and color changes flow throughout, encouraging the hospital’s visitor traffic flow and helping to tie together the varied whimsical architectural designs throughout the lobby area,” Rickman said. “The client was really excited about terrazzo and thought it was worth the effort of all involved to make this project a success.”

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