Minneapolis Convention Center

To celebrate the state’s outdoor attractions and create a sense of place, 10 waterjet-cut, precast art elements in aluminum and brass were set in the floor, and terrazzo was poured-in-place around them. The bird’s-eye-view imagery animates the entire facility while the open spaces are enhanced with a field design of varying and interweaving bands. Functioning as an element of the 14-color palette, the brass action lines and terrazzo patterning trace the figures’ movement, serving as playful and practical wayfinding aids.
These highly functional floors were designed to meet the challenge of exceptionally heavy traffic and load demands. The facility hosts some 750,000 guests for 400 events each year. The entire project was installed on a one-foot by four-foot grid to facilitate the frequent renovations, remodels, and moving of equipment and outlets required in a convention center.