BUILT ARTWORK SPOTLIGHT
Gateway Currents, Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport
$100,000 Architectural Terrazzo Medallion Commission
Project Completion: 2025
A suite of three site-specific epoxy terrazzo medallions integrated into a high-traffic terminal, Gateway Currents was designed as intuitive wayfinding anchors and gathering landmarks. Delivered as a fast-track commission from initial design to finished installation in under five months, the project was completed in close collaboration with fabricators and installed to meet commercial performance and slip-resistance standards. Nominated for the 2025 National Terrazzo and Mosaic Association Honor Award and the Associated Builders and Contractors Excellence in Construction Award, the work exemplifies durable visual identity aligned with passenger movement and civic experience.
Gateway Currents, Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport
$100,000 Architectural Terrazzo Medallion Commission
Project Completion: 2025
A suite of three site-specific epoxy terrazzo medallions integrated into a high-traffic terminal, Gateway Currents was designed as intuitive wayfinding anchors and gathering landmarks. Delivered as a fast-track commission from initial design to finished installation in under five months, the project was completed in close collaboration with fabricators and installed to meet commercial performance and slip-resistance standards. Nominated for the 2025 National Terrazzo and Mosaic Association Honor Award and the Associated Builders and Contractors Excellence in Construction Award, the work exemplifies durable visual identity aligned with passenger movement and civic experience.
|
• Project Scope: A coordinated suite of three large-scale, site-specific 3/8-inch epoxy terrazzo floor medallions, fully integrated into a new high-traffic terminal building and strategically located along primary traveler circulation paths, including elevator lobbies and arrival thresholds where wayfinding clarity and durability are critical.
• Aesthetic Infrastructure: Conceived as both artwork and infrastructure, the medallions operate as legible wayfinding anchors and informal gathering points, designed to be instantly recognizable while reinforcing GSP Airport’s identity and enhancing passenger orientation and experience. • Regional Themes + Site Fit: The suite directly responds to the RFP’s thematic framework, translating water and landscape, the region's history as a textile center, and technology and mobility into three distinct yet visually interconnected compositions: Convergent Gateway (the airport as a point of convergence and departure), Reedy River Falls & Flow (regional ecology, waterways, and movement, as exemplified by an iconic local park), and Woven Cityscape (the interlaced flows of people, materials, infrastructure, and rivers that shape the region). • Material Rigor & Execution: Developed under stringent performance, safety, and color-control requirements, the project was fabricated and installed in close coordination with David Allen Company, with color proofing and quality control support from Cheryl Simerly & Associates, to ensure long-term durability, slip resistance, and visual precision within an active airport environment. • Industry Recognition + Experience Impact: Nominated for the 2025 National Terrazzo and Mosaic Association Honor Award and an Associated Builders and Contractors Excellence in Construction Award, the project demonstrates the studio’s ability to align bold visual identity with operational airport logistics, delivering a durable, high-impact artwork that elevates the everyday traveler experience. |
Details of Gateway Currents (top: Reedy River Falls & Flow, bottom: Convergent Gateway), translating regional movement, ecology, and circulation into durable visual infrastructure and intuitive wayfinding.
|
Image Gallery: Fabrication, Finish & Circulation Cues
Technical Summary and Project Documentation
- Client: Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport District
- Completion: 2025
- Scope: Three epoxy terrazzo floor medallions
- Dimensions: One 12 ft diameter; two 8 ft diameter
- System: 3/8 inch epoxy terrazzo flooring system
- Materials: Aluminum divider strips with custom aggregate blends including recycled glass, mother of pearl, and Georgia white marble
- Finish: Mechanically ground and polished for high-traffic public use
- Fabrication and Installation: David Allen Associates, NTMA member
- Color Coordination: Cheryl Simerly & Associates
Includes expanded materials information, system overview, fabrication partners, and installation context.
Explore Related Spotlights
• Built Project Spotlight: Pollinate Curatorial Installation, HUBweek Festival, Boston City Hall Plaza
• Proposal Spotlight: Rhythms of Recovery Murals and Wall Works, Eleanor Slater Hospital
• Proposal Spotlight: Season Sentinels Sculptures, Kensington Park
• Built Project Spotlight: Pollinate Curatorial Installation, HUBweek Festival, Boston City Hall Plaza
• Proposal Spotlight: Rhythms of Recovery Murals and Wall Works, Eleanor Slater Hospital
• Proposal Spotlight: Season Sentinels Sculptures, Kensington Park