NTMA Awards:

Boise Airport Passenger TerminalHonor Award

Architect: CSHQA, Boise, Idaho

Terrazzo Contractor: Roman Mosaic and Tile Co. West Chester, Pennsylvania

Designer/Artist: Elizabeth Wolf, Boise, Idaho


Terrazzo was the flooring of choice for the Boise Airport terminal because it is durable and allows for many design possibilities.  An airport terminal has a large amount of foot traffic, which necessitates a durable floor covering.  The Boise Airport is owned by the City of Boise, and although public funds did not pay for the new terminal or the airport’s overall expansion, the Airport Commission felt it was particularly important to show fiscal responsibility in using their funds.  the higher initial installation cost of terrazzo was offset by inexpensive and easy daily maintenance  Most likely the floor will never have to be replaced.

Terrazzo’s other attractive feature is its design flexibility.  From the earliest conceptions the architects had pictured a floor that looked like a flowing river.  The city wanted the new terminal to be a gateway to the city and surrounding area, so the terminal was designed to reflect its setting - a river valley. Wide-open spaces and expressive architectural elements (including the undulating curves reflected in the ceiling soffits and in the terrazzo flooring pattern) flow from one functional space to another in a sequential order that instinctively guides a passenger through the building. In addition, the Airport Commission identified the circular portion of the floor under the three-story rotunda as a key focal point in the newly designed building.  The artist-designed medallion image visually represents Boise and Idaho as a regional hub and provides directional orientation.  In the center of the design, Idaho and contiguous sites are outlined as if on a map.  the state flower, syringa, and the state bird, the mountain bluebird, are integrated into the image.  Around the edge of the circle is a flowing river

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