Salt Lake City Airport Terrazzo Project by FW Specialties Wins NTMA Honor Award
Award-winning terrazzo in the new Salt Lake City International Airport integrates the 1961 world map, brought piece by piece from the old airport. A National Terrazzo & Mosaic Association Honor Award went to FW Specialties for their terrazzo work. © David Laudadio
Custom zinc divider strips and marble, glass, mother-of-pearl, and mirror aggregates mark the threshold of the River Tunnel, where the palette deepens to blue.
The River Tunnel in terrazzo, complemented by lighting and a ceiling art installation, is a distinctive feature of the new Salt Lake City airport.
Six neutral tones in terrazzo unify the airport's interior, providing a refined, low-maintenance surface on over 250,000 square feet of new space.
The new terminal's 250,000-square-foot terrazzo installation includes a river tunnel and the restored 1961 world map
The restoration of the 1961 world map alone would have been a remarkable achievement. Combined with 250,000 square feet of new installation, this project represents terrazzo craftsmanship at its best.”
SALT LAKE CITY , UT, UNITED STATES, June 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- FW Specialties of Midvale, Utah, has received a National Terrazzo & Mosaic Association (NTMA) 2026 Honor Award for terrazzo craftsmanship in Salt Lake City International Airport. The award recognizes outstanding execution and technical achievement in one of the largest airport expansion projects in the United States. The honor was officially presented on May 13 at the association's 103rd annual convention. — Chad Rakow, NTMA Executive Director
The terrazzo installation, completed over five years in four phases, spans more than 250,000 square feet across Concourse B and multiple plazas and encompasses the meticulous restoration and reinstallation of the 1961 world map. The project was completed as part of the Salt Lake City International Airport redevelopment led by HOK in association with MHTN Architects.
The recognition caps a project nearly two decades in development. Steven Handelman, Senior Project Architect and Principal at HOK in San Francisco, has been involved since the project's inception in 2008, guiding it from program validation through completion in 2025.
Why Terrazzo Made the Cut
Terrazzo entered the design conversation in 2013, when HOK began the schematic design for the new terminal. The decision was both practical and aesthetic.
“The airport requested a 'highly maintainable' finish, as their highest priority, and terrazzo meets that requirement,” Handelman said. While large-format tile had been considered early on, it proved cost-prohibitive. Terrazzo was equally compatible with the airport’s structured, gridded layout.
Handelman cited terrazzo's longevity, design flexibility, and consistency as the primary reasons HOK specifies it across its airport projects. He noted that the material's range of colors and patterns—and the confidence that the installed work will match design samples—gives designers precise control over the final result.
Utah-Inspired Tones, a Blue Tunnel, and a World Map Reborn
FW Specialties installed six epoxy terrazzo mixes that evoke the region's landscape, incorporating glass, marble, mother-of-pearl, and mirror-chip aggregates to create a restrained, tonal field across the terminal's concourses and plazas. The palette was designed to support large-scale art installations and immersive architectural environments.
The 1,175-foot-long River Tunnel connects the terminal to Concourse B. Rendered in deep blue terrazzo with zinc divider strips, the tunnel evokes the region's waterways. It houses a moving walkway beneath an atmospheric lighting and art installation.
The project’s focal point is the restored world map, a popular landmark of the airport for generations of travelers. The 36-foot-diameter cementitious terrazzo installation was designed and first installed by the J. Bartoli Co. of Dallas, an NTMA member contractor also known for creating the star map at Hoover Dam.
When the original terminal was demolished in 2020, the map was carefully removed in 75 individual sections, each approximately four feet by four feet, six inches thick, and weighing roughly 400 pounds. It was then placed in storage.
The prospect of bringing it back was not a foregone conclusion. "We didn't think it was salvageable," Handelman admitted, "but with a great deal of effort from many different people, we were able to reinstall it—and it looks like it's part of the original design."
FW Specialties undertook the painstaking work of reassembling, patching, color-matching, and refinishing the original sections in Concourse B Plaza. Existing expansion joints were preserved, and mitered divider strips were added to maintain structural integrity. The result is a map that, to the eye, reads as new, while holding sixty years of history underfoot.
"The people of Salt Lake City are very endeared to the world map," reported Handelman. "Everyone is extremely happy about its return."
The Salt Lake City International Airport holds LEED Gold certification and was named the best airport in the nation in AirHelp's 2025 rankings.
FW Specialties was founded in 1981. The company specializes in commercial, industrial, and decorative applications across a broad range of sectors. A second office in Los Angeles, Hermosa Terrazzo, focuses on luxury residential terrazzo work.
About the National Terrazzo & Mosaic Association
The annual NTMA Honor Awards recognize outstanding terrazzo installations completed by association member contractors. Entries are evaluated by design professionals and terrazzo specialists on design achievement, craftsmanship, and technical execution. A full list of this year's 17 Honor Award recipients is available at ntma.com.
Founded in 1923, the NTMA is a nonprofit trade association of over 150 contractor and supplier members, headquartered in Fredericksburg, Texas. The organization establishes national standards for all terrazzo systems and applications, advancing quality craftsmanship and innovation while supporting its members in the trade.
The NTMA provides a broad range of free resources for architects, designers, artists, contractors, maintenance professionals, and property owners. From assisting design teams with specifications to offering technical guidance throughout a project, the NTMA helps ensure terrazzo installations meet the highest standards.
The association also offers AIA-registered continuing education programs for architects and design professionals. For more information about terrazzo resources, visit ntma.com. NTMA Technical Director Gary French is available at gary@ntma.com.
Terrazzo originated in 15th-century Italy, building on the mosaic traditions of ancient Rome. Venetian marble workers repurposed discarded stone chips into durable, decorative surfaces—a practice that made terrazzo an early sustainable material. Today, terrazzo is still poured by hand on-site, with options for precast panels and waterjet-cut details. Stone, recycled glass, or other aggregates—which may be locally sourced—are set in a cement or epoxy base, and the surface is then polished to reveal the aggregate's color and texture. Valued for its design versatility, ease of maintenance, durability, sustainability, and lifecycle value, terrazzo is built to last the life of a building.
Chad Rakow
National Terrazzo & Mosaic Assocation
+1 800-323-9736
info@ntma.com
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National Terrazzo & Mosaic Association 2026 Honor Awards
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