Material in the spotlight: terrazzo with a twist

Satelliet's design team is always looking for new materials and applications. 'When we got our hands on a sample of this material, a terrazzo made from recycled waste glass, it inspired us enormously,' designer Chris Montijn-Spiering explains about the creation of 'Magnus'. 'The transparency of the glass in concrete is so beautiful, I knew immediately that I wanted to work with it.' The designer saw another use for the material, supplied by the supplier as a kitchen worktop. 'We were still looking for an eye-catcher within our table collection. Then we came up with a huge table with a wooden top and four substantial legs made of this new terrazzo material, real mammoth legs that are now a trend.'

Local and more sustainable

Fortunately, the supplier immediately thought it was 'a nice idea', and together the two companies set to work. Now the terrazzo legs adorn the imposing four-metre-long 'Magnus' table with a large, oval top. 'We worked with hollow legs with a metal insert. Concrete and colour-sorted glass are poured into a mould.' After sanding, polishing and varnishing, a special material is the result: soft, smooth, strong and unique, thanks to small pieces of waste glass from bottles, windows and from company waste. 'That's what it's all about, being able to deliver a functional and beautiful material, sustainability is not of secondary importance, but rather has become a matter of course. The great thing is that this material is an entirely Dutch product. We always had to import real terrazzo, based on quartz and other mineral stones. In this case, the glass - a million kilos annually - comes from the Netherlands. Local, so much more sustainable.'

Sustainable ambition

The same goes for the new circular tabletops 'Reverso' that Gijs van Essen, designer and colleague of Chris in Satelliet's design team, worked on. They are also ‘terrazzo with a twist’, made from plastic from Dutch refrigerators. 'Return panels come in weekly, intended for all kinds of applications such as furniture panels and tabletops.' The lines are short, and the product is of high quality. That's nice, and not always common in the recycling industry. 'Often the decors are disappointing, or the finish of the sides does not turn out nicely,' Gijs states. 'With this material, we were immediately impressed by how good it looks.'

Citrino & Coloretti

From the various options, the design team chose two types that are now available as 'Citrino' and 'Coloretti' in Satelliet's tabletop series. In any size, shape and mounted on different bases. The first options were on display during Satelliet's Open Days. 'Coloretti' consists of a mix of recycled white polystyrene and different colours of grey, black and ochre yellow. The surprise is that then sometimes a hint of green or blue peeps in between. That makes the result exciting and unique.' 'Citrino' is warmer in colour and cloudier in texture. The suggestion of relief is optical; the material is as smooth as 'Coloretti'. 'You get that effect from a different melting process, which gives the plastic a lumpier appearance after curing. The sheets are then sanded and polished. Top coating is not necessary, and tampering is not a problem. The sheets are stain-resistant - it is plastic, after all.'

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