to Find data

The MarbleintheWorld DataBank project for operators in the stone industry was launched in 1995.
The prime objective is to bring together potential suppliers and clients who use the MarbleintheWorld DataBank because they know that they can find everything regarding the dimension stone industry there.

the Elegance...the Beauty...

Historical monuments and pieces of ancient sculptures, which are present till these days, prove the importance of marble for architectural works. They speak of the elegance and beauty of marble. Earlier the high price of marble could be afforded only by the riches. So, the palaces, churches and historical buildings only had marble works. Thus marble was a stone that was not found in the house of commoners.

Roman coliseum has been an excellent piece of marble architecture that was built centuries ago. In fact almost every major civilization has used natural stone in the architecture that they have created. Egyptians have used them for the construction of pyramids. Marble in the form of slabs were first used by the Romans. They used it for wall applications. Romans could use this natural stones in the walls as they had invented cement that could hold marble tiles in proper place. History tells that Romans were excellent architects and builders. They had redone the entire city with marble and made it world’s most beautiful city.

Most of the marble sculptures in Rome were made from white marble. It added to the elegance and dignity of the pieces. Sculpture artists have always preferred to use marble for their works as it was easy for them to show all the fine edges on marble. A hard stone, marble can get life if an artist knows how to do the sculpture works. White marble was not only used by the Romans. The popularity of the white marbles was also seen during the time of Renaissance. It has been preferred as a material for carving.

In fact the use of marble and other natural stones have been revived during the Renaissance period. Sculpture made by Michelangelo can be cited as evidence to prove the spread of marble sculpture during the Renaissance. Though a large number of Roman sculptures and marble works were found in white, yet the Romans also preferred to use colored materials for sculpture. In was in first century BC, people in Rome started to use marble in an extensive manner. Most of the Roman buildings were made up of marble during the period of Emperor Augustus. Several architectural pieces of Rome used marble for the decoration. They showed the importance of marble in the field of architecture.

Interiors of some of the Roman churches had excellent marble and mosaic architecture. Most of these churches dated during the period of 12th century to 14th century. The Cosmati marble works, for ages have been considered as a wonderful marble architecture. They were used for the decoration of several building. Pavements at the time of Roman empires also had some marvelous designs made with marble.

Marble also has a significant role in the architectures of other countries. Some of the Indian monuments also show the importance of marble in the architecture of the country. Natural stone marble has not lost its importance architectures of present days. These days too marble is used in all parts of the world for creating unique architectural pieces.
 

Curving the Himalaya

Housed within 55,000 glaciers in the Himalaya Mountains sits 40 percent of the world’s fresh water. The massive ice sheets are melting at a faster-than-ever pace due to climate change, posing possible dire consequences for the continent of Asia and the entire world stand, and especially for the villages and cities that sit on the seven rivers that come are fed from the Himalayas’ runoff as they respond with erratic flooding or drought.

The “Himalaya Water Tower” is a skyscraper located high in the mountain range that serves to store water and helps regulate its dispersal to the land below as the mountains’ natural supplies dry up. The skyscraper, which can be replicated en masse, will collect water in the rainy season, purify it, freeze it into ice and store it for future use. The water distribution schedule will evolve with the needs of residents below; while it can be used to help in times of current drought, it’s also meant to store plentiful water for future generations.

The lower part of the Himalaya Water tower is comprised of six stem-like pipes that curve and wind together and collect and store water. Marble and stone to build, iron, wood to create.Like the stem of a plant, these pipes grow strong as they absorb their maximum water capacity. In each of the six stems, a core tube is flanked by levels and levels of cells, which hold the water. The upper part of the building – the part that is visible above the snow line – is used for frozen storage. Four massive cores support steel cylindrical frames that, like the stems below, hold levels that radiate out, creating four steel tubes filled with ice. In between the two sections are mechanical systems that help freeze the water when the climatic conditions aren’t able to do so, purify the water and regulate the distribution of water and ice throughout the structure.

At the bottom of the structure, surrounding the six intertwined water tubes is a transport system that regulates fresh water distribution to the towns and cities below. The curving channels connect the mountains to the villages, and are also hold within them a railway for the transport of people and goods.

marble Anatomy

Praxiteles is one of the most celebrated of the Attic sculptors, and although very few facts about his life are certain, it is known that he was from Athens and his father, Kephisodotus, was believed to be another renowned Attic sculptor. All of his work is estimated to date from the second half of the 4th century B.C.

Only one of Praxiteles' sculptures still survives, although the authenticity of this piece is doubted by some. However, as a result of his fame and popularity, a great deal of Roman copies of his works were made, many of which have been recovered. His recognition as a great sculptor is clear from the pictures of his sculptures which were engraved on Roman coins, as well as the descriptions given to us by writers such as Pliny the Elder and Pausanias. Praxiteles' school of art was mostly concerned with marble, due to the fine quality of marble from the quarries in Paros at the time. Some of his sculptures were also known to be painted by Nicias, who Praxiteles greatly respected, proclaiming that the best statues were those painted by Nicias.

Praxiteles was highly influential in the development of Greek sculpture, bringing an elegant and sensuous grace to his work. His innovative style was a transformation from the tone set by his predecessors of impressive yet somehow detached sculpture, especially in representations of the gods. Praxiteles overcomes the problem of distancing the viewer by producing a much more humanising view of the gods. Many sculptors from Praxiteles' time chose to use bronze for their sculpture, as it allows greater flexibility in composition due to its tensile strength. However, Praxiteles, although he was skilled in both materials, favoured the use of marble. He points out its advantage over bronze as its ability to resemble the softness and radiance of the skin. The innovations of bronze had allowed sculptors to accurately depict the human anatomy, as well as the responsiveness of the body to various movements or positions. This meant that the sculptures being produced in Praxiteles' time were aiming to create a physically accurate figure. However, Praxiteles was interested in doing more than this; it was his beautiful rendering of surface and texture that made him such a highly praised sculptor.
 

over Thousands of Years

Marble has been used as building materials for over thousands of years, even dating back to the ancient times of the Romans and Greeks. This material is believed to be one of the best materials to be used when constructing one’s home, or even office spaces, and some other form of architecture.

With its durability, strength, resilience and beauty, it is surely a material that most builders would want to use. And, with its different varieties of colors and designs, its application possibilities are virtually limitless, confined only to a person’s imagination.

Marble, which is actually formed when limestone is heated and pressurized within the earth’s crust, can be used as flooring tiles, or even countertops in kitchens, due to its certain characteristics, such as being hypoallergenic and resistant to dirt and bacteria. Marble is used to create very exquisite, yet resilient flooring material, which are quite expensive, but are still very much sought after in the market today. The application for this natural stone can become vast, depending on how people use it, and for what. Some are content on turning this beautiful piece of natural stone into a flooring material, but others push the envelope for its use, creating great works of architectural wonders.

Marble Architectures

One architectural wonder is the Parthenon, which is created during the time of the Greeks. This structure was one of the very few buildings in the Greek era that used marble as part of its construction material. Usually, marble was commonly used as sculptural decoration during this period, due to its cost. Marble, as it is today, was a very expensive building material in Greece back then, and transporting these huge blocks of marble for structural construction was very difficult, which is why it was rarely used when constructing buildings, with the exception of the Parthenon, that is. The marble was mainly used for the construction of the columns and the upper levels of structures, and with the Parthenon’s survival of time, it shows that marble can be very durable and resilient.

The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington also uses marble as part of its construction material. Like other traditional Roman architecture, the U.S. Supreme Court also has free-standing columns defining its exterior on the front of the Supreme Court building. It is characterized by appearing as if it is raised on a podium, with a formal front staircase. The entire exterior of the building uses white marble, echoing Greek and Roman formal architecture. The marble adds a certain regality to the building, which helps make the building distinct.

The Marble House, which is now turned into a public museum, was once one of the Gilded Age mansions of Newport, Rhode Island. The Marble House uses over 500,000 cubic feet of marble costing around $7 million. This architectural feat is left standing for over a hundred years from its construction back in between 1888 and 1892. The marble that was used on the structure gives it its distinct exquisite appearance and aura. It also has columns, just like the Roman and Greek structures, which used marble as its construction material as well.