Always looking to stay on the cutting edge of technology, Italian stone producerMazzucchelli Marmiteamed up with architect Marco Francesconi of DGF Design in Forte dei Marmi, Italy, and designer Massimo Magnolfi to develop SimplicityTM— a new concept for designing with stone. The system was conceived three years ago, and Mazzucchelli Marmi is the sole licensee of Simplicity in the stone market.

According to the stone producer, its staff works closely with architects and artists to offer material and solutions that meet their needs in their designs. “Thanks to the Simplicity retailing service, which enhances the quality of our marbles, artists will now shape stone in a new way,” stated Mazzucchelli Marmi.

The system is based on a square matrix that is 45 cm. “With its dimension, you can design doors, windows, benches etc.,” explained Francesconi. “The cell can rotate. It can even flip so a design can be mirrored on a floor.”

The design of the Simplicity system allows for the design of infinite architectural elements. The architect explained that brick or concrete is used as a structure and the Simplicity cells are employed as the skin. “[Also], it can be used with different materials,” he said. 

At Marmomacc in Verona, Italy, this past fall, Mazzucchelli Marmi demonstrated its Simplicity system by using it to construct its booth. “This represents a goal confirming the indissoluble link between architecture and design which can be summarized in the E.N. Rogers motto ‘From the spoon to the city,’” stated Mazzucchelli Marmi.