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Harbor Place (Modena TG)

At Harbor Place in Stamford, Connecticut, Beyond Concrete was tasked with transforming the lobby entrance into a bold, modern space that would make a lasting impression.  The primary goal was to create an eye-catching, distinctive lobby design that would enhance the aesthetic appeal of the building.  The project involved using Bomanite’s Custom Polishing System, Modena TG, in a striking black and white zebra pattern, achieving both functionality and style.

One of the key design requirements was to develop a lobby that would stand out while meeting the client’s vision of a modern, sleek entrance.  The design team opted for a bold zebra pattern, which was brought to life with the Modena TG system.  This system provided a polished finish using larger aggregates, adding texture and depth to the floor, while also ensuring the durability needed for a high-traffic area like a lobby.

The installation of the floor presented some challenges.  Custom templates and aluminum divider strips were manufactured specifically for this project to achieve the precise zebra pattern.  Managing access during the installation was also tricky, as elevators on both sides of the lobby had to be shut down temporarily.  Despite these challenges, the project was completed on time, thanks to the collaborative efforts of the general contractor, building owners, and the team at Beyond Concrete.

In terms of outcomes, the project exceeded the owner’s expectations, earning praise for its unique and polished look.  Additionally, the project garnered industry recognition, winning the 2009 Gold Award for Best Polishing Project, a prestigious accolade that highlights the quality of craftsmanship involved.

The Modena TG system was not only chosen for its aesthetic appeal but also for its durability and low maintenance.  Based on prior installations, the team knew that the system would provide long-lasting results, making it an ideal choice for the busy lobby environment.

From an impact perspective, the tenants at Harbor Place have responded positively to the new lobby design, with many noting the fresh and modern feel of the space.  This successful transformation demonstrates the power of innovative design and quality materials in creating a welcoming and lasting impression for building occupants and visitors alike.

The Park Theater (Modena TG)

The Jaffrey Park Theatre has a long history that began in 1922. The Park Theatre was the center of community life as a movie and vaudeville house for 54 years and in 1976 became a retail store and warehouse. In 2005 The Park Theatre Corporation decided to purchase the building and renovate the historical site. Almost 20 years later The Park Theatre has been rejuvenated and ready to provide artistic, cultural, entertainment and educational programs and activities for the residents of and visitors to the communities of the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire.

The Park Theatre was rebuilt as a sustainable, state-of-the-art film and performing arts center, featuring two auditoriums and presenting movies, live theatre, including children’s productions, concerts, live acts, lectures and symposiums as well as a venue for community and business gatherings.

Calling up BKA Architects, The Park Theatre Corporation requested that the building façade use an Art Deco period design to recapture an element of sentimentality for the 1920s era and as homage to the original theatre with the founder’s home on top. With the design intent, they knew they wanted a polished exposed concrete floor and when the time came in February 2019, the architect reached out to Bomanite Licensee, Premier Concrete Construction, LLC to discuss the possibilities. With little under 5,000 square feet to work with, Premier Concrete met with Caroline K. Hollister, Trustee, President and Treasurer of The Park Theatre and Matt Pelletier of BKA Architects at their Boston Decorative Concrete Showroom. It was at the showroom that the clients learned of the different textures and colors of concrete.

An important design element was the star sponsorships, each donor over $10,000 received a star with their name engraved such like the California Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Bomanite Custom Polishing System Renaissance was the choice for the main lobby entrance flooring, in a dark black color, to provide a background that would make the golden stars pop off the floor. In order to achieve the deep dark color, Premier Concrete created a custom Raven Black Integral Color. Using Bomanite Integral Color provides for uniformity of color throughout the depth of the Concrete while producing durability and longevity of the concrete itself. During the polishing process Black Concrete Dye was added to the top of the colored slab to achieve the deepest darkest color possible.

Premier Concrete crafted a solid solution for creating the stars with a molded form that was placed before the concrete was poured. Once the field of Black concrete was set and polished, forms were removed and a formulation of Bomanite Modena TG, a modern terrazzo like mix, filled the voids. The Bomanite Modena TG Bomanite Custom Polishing System used 3 different colors of yellow glass in 3 differing sizes along with touches of mirror glass to provide the bright golden contrast against the Black backdrop. Once set, each donors name was engraved into the star and displayed with a metallic epoxy for some old-world Hollywood glamour.

Prior to the work being started, several samples of contrasting color palettes were created and shown to the clients as well as onsite mockups. Determining the best plan to bring the Park Theatre’s vision to life was critical to the success of the space and intent of design. Premier Concrete’s showroom allowed for the clients to learn more about the possibilities of Bomanite Decorative Concrete. Samples provided the clients with ease of mind and a visual to a stunning end result.

This grand project won Premier Concrete Construction the 2020 Silver Award for the Best Bomanite Custom Polishing System Project. With Premier Concrete’s quality of work and creativity, The Park Theatre now showcases a distinct decorative detail while providing a dynamic regional center for the arts and entertainment as well as an artistic meeting place for the community.

Grain Valley High School (Modena TG)

With school out for the summer that leaves room for designers and contractors to have more readily available access for specified improvements and upgrades. Growing School Districts looking to restyle, update or renovate can trust the Bomanite Modena TG system for low maintenance and cost saving benefits. The Grain Valley High School originally built in the late 1990s finished its phase 4 expansion to accommodate its rapidly growing student body. Expansion brought much needed instructional and collaboration space, a game changer for students. With a large amount of community support, the School took into consideration the need to provide a low maintenance flooring with an element of design to embody the school’s colors and team spirit.

Hollis + Miller Architects worked with Bomanite Decorative Concrete Licensee, Musselman & Hall Contractors, LLC on several other past projects and knew that they could come up with a custom winning design. They searched through a number of samples, library binders, created idea boards and pulled together a combination of polished concrete and different aggregates that would give the students academia pride in their newly expanded school.

Phase 4 creates a new main entrance, media center, lecture hall, administration area, and courtyard for student use. The new entrance to the “Eagle Way” promenade is flanked by a huge monolithic concrete wall dressed out in the school colors of royal blue and white. The entrance’s 2,890 sq. ft. hallway contains two shades of vibrant blue glass aggregate and eye-catching pieces of sparkling mirror glass polished to a brilliant luster. After the concrete base slab was poured, it was topped with a two-inch thick Bomanite Modena TG topping slab, aggregates added and after a brief curing period the floor was then polished to the perfect grit and shine.

Additionally, included in the project were 1,945 sq. ft. of a refined “cream polish” surface (Class A aggregate exposure with a Level 3 polish) and 4,335 sq. ft. of a perfect “salt and pepper” finish (Class B aggregate exposure with a Level 3 polish). Musselman & Hall crews also polished three sets of concrete steps with a three-line nose detail engraved into the concrete. The newly created grooves were filled with “Grain Valley Blue” epoxy to bring some school spirit and color into the Bomanite cream polished finish designed surface areas.

The Bomanite Modena TG Custom Polishing System is an engineered interior cementitious topping that is blended with selected aggregates and then ground and polished to the desired gloss level. The Modena system transforms existing or worn surfaces into beautiful walkways, school hallways, showrooms, restaurants and lobbies and is available in a range of colors and patterns using decorative sawcuts. Additional topically applied stains and a variety of aggregates, such as recycled glass or porcelain along with regionally sourced materials, are all options in creating a beautifully designed, environmentally friendly and functional floor. The Modena system is a low-cost alternative for renovation projects and provides the durability and strength for this exceptionally long lifespan system. With the industry’s lowest lifecycle costs, low to zero VOC and minimal maintenance requirements, Modena by Bomanite Polished Concrete was the optimal choice for Grain Valley’s expansion and renovations.

Musselman & Hall Contractors, LLC received several awards for their exceptional work at Grain Valley High School. They were awarded the Bomanite Outstanding Grand Award as well as the Bomanite Custom Polishing Systems Gold Award.