Coral Ridge Mall

Introduction

“Where Shopping is a Breeze”—that’s the tag line for Coral Ridge Mall in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, conveying the popular retail center’s appeal to shoppers. When the time came to remodel the mall’s interior flooring without disrupting daily operations, the team behind the project was faced with a challenge to stay true to the motto. To achieve a beautiful, functional, and timely installation while keeping shopping a breeze for Coral Ridge customers, property manager Toby Holland chose to partner with firms and suppliers with whom she already had a relationship or those that came highly referred.

Holland selected Saltz Michelson—an architecture firm with a strong reputation in both public and private work, including large retail projects—to develop an interior plan for the substantial space and accepted the team’s recommendation to utilize Crossville tile for the floors and column bases.

The  Story

From the start, Holland was inspired by Crossville’s design-forward and environmentally responsible practices as well as its status as a U.S. manufacturer. In working with the company, her feelings were reinforced. “We were very impressed with the Crossville line of tiles and especially enjoyed working with Robert Sutnick, senior architectural representative for Crossville. He was very helpful with the entire project.” Holland continues, “Crossville is the leading American manufacturer of beautiful, sustainable solutions that advance the frontiers of tile design. From introducing the nation’s first large-format porcelain tiles, to becoming the first and only net consumer of tile waste materials (meaning they recycle even more than they produce), to developing cutting-edge performance innovations that turn mere surfaces into ‘breathing’ living environments—they are committed to pioneering products and practices that change the way the world views tile.”

For the Coral Ridge project, the Saltz Michelson architecture team specified three colors from Crossville’s Structure porcelain line—Gypsum, Sandstone and Shale—which features a concrete and cut stone visual. In addition to its beautiful and contemporary appeal, the line is manufactured with pre-consumer recycled content and holds Green Squared Certification, the highest sustainability standard in the porcelain tile industry.

For the floor, Structure’s 24”x24” format was selected, and, for the bases of the columns, a 12”x12” format was utilized. Utilizing waterjet technology, tile contractor SVP Tile cut the Structure porcelain to create a unique pattern for the floor featuring broad tone-on-tone sweeps. One of the most striking aspects of the design is the circular and eye-catching “bulls-eyes” surrounding relaxation zones with modern-style couches and hassocks configured into curves that reinforce the pattern waterjet cut patterns of the porcelain.

*The collection, Structure, that was used in this case study has been discontinued. Please consider Alaska, Classic Grooves, Gotham, Owen Stone or Portugal as replacements for this collection.