A man-made substitute for stone
Terrazzo was not invented in Taiwan. According to historical records, it originated in Venice and was introduced into Taiwan during the Japanese era, although exactly when is uncertain. Yeh Jun-lin, an assistant professor of architecture at Chung Yuan Christian University, explains that terrazzo is a type of manufactured stone. “Taiwan is not a big producer of building stone. Natural stone is expensive, as are related labor and transport costs. Terrazzo likewise uses natural materials, but a lot of cement mortar is added in, thus reducing the amount of stone material. But from a distance, it looks much like stone.”
From a user’s perspective, terrazzo is easy to clean and can be used virtually forever. Even if it chips or cracks, it can typically be spot-repaired. When it gets old, it can be reground and repolished, thus further extending its life. All in all, it is a very durable material. Furthermore, terrazzo is cool to the touch and well suited to the heat of Taiwan. And it has the advantages of neither absorbing water nor being susceptible to condensation in humid weather. For these many reasons, the material became very popular.
One can find terrazzo in many old buildings dating from the Japanese era, such as the Presidential Office Building, the Control Yuan Building and Hsinchu City Hall. The use of terrazzo was at its peak from the 1950s to the 1980s. One can find it used for floors, wall bases, and the lower portions of walls in many residences, temples, schools and government buildings dating from that era.
Modern Taiwanese are most familiar with black, gray and white terrazzo mixes, color schemes suited to stone materials sourced in Taiwan. The black components are slate from either Yilan’s Wushi Harbor or Pingtung’s Sandimen. It is the same stone that some indigenous Taiwanese use in their slab houses. Additionally, there is black marble quarried in Yilan, Hualien or Taitung. The gray and white stones are all marble, likewise originating from Eastern Taiwan.
Chen Bingyuan demonstrates how terrazzo is made: Cement and stone are mixed in a 1:2 ratio. The mixture is then laid and left to dry before grinding. After polishing, it acquires a shiny luster.