The 2012 Marble Architectural Awards competition has a new formula which is to involve projects and architects that have won awards from 1985 (the first year of the Awards) to 2010.
Hence, this year the Awards will not be for works put forward by architectural offices as per the normal competition rules. Instead, they will be a celebration of the winners (works and architects) from past years and this will also constitute a sort of survey of the use of natural stone in architecture over the past 25 years.
There have been many interesting innovations in the field. There is now a very wide range of different thicknesses and surface treatments available and new materials with new colours and textures have gradually become widely used in the various applications, even though traditional materials continue to hold strong in terms of architects and designers' preferences. More and more often marble and granite are used in combination with other materials (glass or other lightweight supports) and they are now conceived totally differently from in the past, i.e. as lightweight materials rather than heavy ones and as translucent products in addition to traditional wall coverings.
A catalogue will be published and a photo exhibition featuring the documents, images and technical information produced by the architects at the time will be staged at CARRAMARMOTEC 2012 due to be held in Carrara from 23 to 26 May. This will show the changes that have taken place over time and possibly the most likely future trends in the use of natural stone.
The emerging themes will be discussed further during meetings, debates and conferences with the contribution of prominent names in contemporary architecture as speakers to give their expert views on the subject.
The full programme (exhibition, celebrationary catalogue and debates) will be taking place in the exceptional setting of “CarraraMarble Weeks” in Carrara’s old town where there will be events held throughout the evening during the Marble trade fair to entertain visitors and allow them to enjoy a sample of what the Apuo-Versilian area has to offer as well as provide them with a unique backdrop for their business appointments.
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