Inspired by ancient Greek and Roman pavements the Portuguese artisans combined white limestone and black basalt into sidewalk designs that were installed almost two hundred years ago. Very few craftsmen remain for this back-breaking manual work, every stone was individually laid into a bed of sand. The practical side of this design is that if any work needed to be done under the pavement, the stones could be removed and then replaced exactly where they had been laid decades before.
Roberto Burle Marx, a world renowned landscape architect from Brazil installed many of the sidewalks in Rio de Janeiro. This pavement is located at La Playa de Impanema and was inspired by the Portuguese walkways of the 1800's.
This mosaic facade from the Oceana Hotel in Santa Monica, California is inspired by the Portuguese pavements and Marx. Reinvented in a modern stylized form the mosaic makes a statement that announces the entry to the hotel.
Designed in all white Calacata marble, Walker Zanger's Ipanema is subtle and enduring. The classic curves of this pattern pay homage to the Portuguese and Marx mosaics and the uniform material makes it's own statement.
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