Marble & Light

June 2013.The Turkish natural stone branch presented itself at this year’s Design Week (Milan, April 2013) with its installation „Bathing in light“. As in the previous year, six designers and architects from different countries were invited to undertake something spectacular using Turkish marble and have it realized by Turkish companies.
http://www.stone-ideas.com/2013/06/28/bathing-in-light/

Murcia

Antonio Molina,
Technological Centre for Marble (Murcia), Spain
laboratorio@ctmarmol.es
The US 305/2011 Regulation for building products published on 9 March, 2011 comes into effect on 1 July, 2013, substituting the current Directive 89/106/CE for Building Products. The new Regulation does not impose on the manufacturers of natural stone more conditions than those in the Directive, but obliges them to make some changes in the documentation of the products.
 
http://www.litosonline.com/en/articles/en/529/european-norms-construction-products-natural-stone

Black Granite

Marbrasa Marmores e Granitos do Brasil Ltda. of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Espírito Santo, Brazil, was founded in 1968 by Camilo Cola, and it has expanded its production greatly over the years. Among the many developments at the company, it has made major investments in its quarrying operations, including the San Gabriel Black granite quarry.
http://www.stoneworld.com/articles/87571-a-global-resource-for-black-granite?v=preview

Chopin's heart beat in Warsaw

“This is not Chopin who needs us, we are the ones that need to warm up with the splendor of his fame and genius” – said Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, capital’s president, during the official opening  of the Fryderyk Chopin Museum in Warsaw. The building that honors the memory of the great composer is situated in the seventeenth-century Ostrogski Castle at Tamka Street. The works lasted several years. PAMIR, from Poland, was one of the companies that participated in the creation of one of the most modern museums in Europe.
http://www.litosonline.com/en/articles/en/106/chopins-heart-beat-warsaw

Old Portland Limestone

It was 150 years ago on January 10th 1863 to be precise, that the London „Tube“ first transported passengers across London. Trains were pulled by steam engines back then. Time for a flashback on Station Green Park where artist John Maine made time and people as well as geology a central theme of his work. The noteworthy décor at the station’s entrance incorporates 150 million-year-old fossils which ensued from crustacean, gastropod and bivalves sediments over the ages. For his work, the artist was awarded one of the 2012 Stone Federation Great Britain prizes.
We are talking about Portland limestone. For centuries it has been the stone of choice for representative buildings in the capital city of Great Britain.
http://www.stone-ideas.com/2013/05/20/stone-stories-150-year-old-underground-with-150-million-year-old-limestone/

A Novelda Stone

The oldest piece of work prepared in Bateig stone (or Novelda stone) dates back to between the 6th and 7th centuries. It is a carving of the Virgin of Tejeda of only 27 cm in height, and which, according to tradition, appeared to John the Shepherd in the year 1208. Destroyed during the civil war, it was restored after the same by the Valencian sculptor Rafael Orellano.
http://www.litosonline.com/en/advertorials/en/801/bateig-natural-stone-past-and-present-stone-industry-novelda

Saudi Arabia in Granites

At a time when many major economies of the world are in recession or passing through a period of slow growth and great uncertainty, stone factories in many countries have been cutting down on new investments. There is one country, however, which is defying the otherwise cautious mood and continues to be, year after year, an endless market for stone companies. That country is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
http://www.litosonline.com/en/articles/en/526/saudi-arabia-new-heavyweight-granite-processing-country

How to present stones in the right way...

De gustibus et coloribus non disputandum est. A Latin proverb, know by many, and still forming the basis for discussions. Fact is you cannot really discuss colour and taste. Why is this still a subject leading to impossible discussions?
Choosing is part of being human.

The thing that differs us from animals is that we have the ability to choose. An important factor in making choices is emotion. Regarding to taste, perception is what counts. We all perceive things differently. We all look at things in a different way. There are some personal factors which influence our decisions. The way we feel; our prejudice, background, culture, goal and even our gender. When some people linger about shoes, others do this about cars.
You cannot change the laws of physics. But we don’t have to. We can do something about the circumstances in which we have to make our choices. We’re not going to use marketing tools to sell products you don’t need. This doesn’t apply to natural stone. We all know the little tricks used in mega-stores. The sales towers packed with items you don’t need to distract the customer to make an impulse purchase. Positioning of products at eye level, changing setup regularly, appropriate music, the smell of freshly prepared food, etc…
http://www.litosonline.com/en/articles/en/506/how-present-natural-stone-right-way

On the banks of the river Danube

The Hungarian Parliament, located in the capital city of Budapest, on the banks of the river Danube, was built to commemorate the millennium celebrations, and took as its model the Westminster in London. Now, coinciding with its centenary in 2002, the building is being restored. The Hungarian company Reneszánsz RT., the biggest stone company in the country employing 300 people, has been charged with the restoration project.
The architect in charge of the original project was Imre Steindl. The work began on 12 October, 1885, lasted around 17 years and an average of 1000 workers were employed constantly. 
http://www.litosonline.com/en/articles/en/65/hungarian-parliament-restoration

Light into Marble

In the presence of children eager to discover the world this new collection could cause some problems: one can easily imagine children switching the light on and off to discover the ever-changing appearance of the material – an effect which Lithos Design was counting on.
http://www.stone-ideas.com/2013/05/12/design-luminescence-in-and-on-marble/

Sculpture and Architecture by Kajima

Kajima aims to create a new space where the art of sculptures and architecture meet, for this year competition. The displayed sculptures will activate the space.

Iwakichi Kajima begins carpentry business in Edo (present day Tokyo) -1860
Kajima pioneers first western-style building in Yokohama (Ei-Ichiban Kan).
http://www.kajima.co.jp/csr/culture/sculpture/english/index.html

in The Sea of Galilee

In the seismic-reflection profiles in the south-western part of the Sea of Galilee we note a submerged, slightly asymmetric cone-shaped pile of stones, rising above the gently sloping (<2°) sandy bottom of the lake. Sonar images show that the pile is circular in plan, and the Chirp-reflection profiles show that the western face is somewhat steeper than the eastern part...
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1095-9270.12005/full

Palace of Justice

The Palace of Justice in Amsterdam, Netherlands, by Claus en Kaan Architecten is designed to be autonomous complex, recognizable in its presence. The exterior walls of this landmark piece are light, almost abstract, therefore adding universal and timeless quality to this massive architectural monument.
http://www.evolo.us/architecture/palace-of-justice-in-amsterdam-is-a-new-landmark-of-western-ij-docks/

creating Buildings like Wine

Marbletecture views the making of buildings as a process, a sort of metabolism in which the client, the architect, and the contractor interact to produce a structure specific and unique to that particular interaction of individuals.
Creating a good building is like crafting a fine wine: it takes what ordinarily seems like a random succession of interactions and wrangles them into a coherent, more controlled process: Starting with the constraints of site and budget, Marbletecture initiates the primary fermentation - the interaction between the client and architect - which produces the architectural design. Once this has been filtered through the process of permitting, the secondary fermentation - the interaction between the client and contractor - begins. When completed, the project is a built record of these interactions, reflecting the contribution of all involved.

116 -Story Tower

1 Park Avenue is a 550-meter, 116-story tower in Dubai, designed by Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill Architecture. The development, with a trio of podium buildings as a base, is a signature design for Dubai’s Jumeira Gardens.
http://www.evolo.us/architecture/undulating-skyscraper-in-dubai-adrian-smith-and-gordon-gill-architecture/

India Stone Mart

India Stonemart is the largest exposition on stone industry which showcases the world of natural stones and ancillary products and services. It has strategic and competitive importance for anyone related with the stone industry, in India and internationally. Exhibitors include stone quarry owners, stone processors, manufacturers and suppliers of stone-related machineries, stone craftsmen as well as architects and builders. India Stonemart is an ideal marketplace to negotiate international deals, network with the stalwarts of the industry and to simply do business.
http://www.tradefairdates.com/India-Stonemart-M2624/Jaipur.html

a Kind of a Living

A team of architecture students from the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) and engineering students from California Institute of Technology (Caltech) are building a one-of-its-kind, solar-powered net-zero home that will enable residents to change the configuration of their living environment based on preference, presenting homeowners with a house uniquely suited for their needs.
http://www.sciarc.edu/news.php?id=2231

Choreographies

It’s about the choreography of several dancers, several mind-machines, disarticulated and in disequilibrium, petrified in four different positions, spraying some cloudy substances, top down very dense foggy matter, disseminating a random cocktail of physiological alterated states (euphoria, melancholia, hysteria, phobia, phyllia, joy, delusion, delirium, anxiety, amnesia…) to disrupt the perception, for a drift in a synesthesia multiple and heterogeneous sensations.
http://www.new-territories.com/blog/

Pieces of a Local History

Jason Mulligan’s works cover a wide palate as can be seen on his home page. Some pieces make reference to local history or locations in which they are installed. Most can be found in Northern Ireland and were realized in cooperation with locals in project works.
http://www.stone-ideas.com/

an Underwater City

Building an underwater city is the main goal of this project that responds to the sea level rise in the upcoming decades. The US National Research Council estimates that in this century alone, the sea level will rise between 50 and 200 centimeters – leaving some existing cities underwater.
http://www.evolo.us/category/2013/page/2/

Saint Joseph Cathedral

Located in Sioux Falls, SD, Saint Joseph Cathedral has stood as an unfinished landmark for almost 100 years. Over that time, this grand structure stood as a piecemeal architectural project that tells the history of the structure, beginning with the misfortunes of its original architect. With recent renovations, the cathedral now brings to life the vision of original architect, Emmanuel Louis Masqueray, through the work of Duncan G. Stroik Architect and Bishop Swain.
http://www.stoneworld.com/articles/87535-cathedral-undergoes-a-creative-restoration

art Craft Stone

Finland’s Saimaa University of Applied Sciences in Imatra is offering courses toward a bachelor degree in Culture and Arts in which students can major in Jewellery Art and specialize in natural stone jewelry.
One of the student groups closed with a pin whose head was made of Finnish granite – photo above.
http://www.stone-ideas.com/2013/05/22/design-natural-stone-jewelry/

In Mexico a Landmark Piece

Thoughtfully designed as a singular form, the competition entry for Cultural Center in, Mexico, by collaborative design team consisting of architects Adrian Yau, Frisly Colop Morales, Jason Easter, and Lukasz Wawrzenczyk merges the concepts of aesthetics and functionality.  The aim was also to create a landmark piece which would eventually become the icon of the city, through subtle yet dynamic form and composition. Simple in its presence and materiality, but monumental in form, the building of Cultural Center seeks to create a city focal point that adapts to the surrounding, establishing itself as the heart of the local community.
http://www.evolo.us/architecture/new-cultural-center-in-mexico/