While mosaics have been around for centuries, there have definitely been some changes in trends through the years. Traditionally, mosaics have been considered an element of classical designs. Intricately detailed patterns and motifs consisting of tiny pieces of stone and tile can still be found in many historic buildings, such as churches and museums, around the world. And although traditional mosaic pieces such as these are timeless and still widely used to liven up a floor or wall application, more contemporary mosaic applications have gained widespread popularity.
Principal Designer Christopher Grubb of Arch-Interiors Design Group, Inc. of Beverly Hills, CA, has been noticing a number of hospitality design trends lately. First and foremost, the designer has noticed that clients are moving away from stark white-on-white, beige-on-beige concepts. "The idea now is see and be seen," Grubb said. "People are adding elements they don't have at home, like a lot of color and textures that are both visually and emotionally exciting."
Recently, world-renowned architect Richard Meier, FAIA, spoke to a packed room at Coverings 2007, which took place at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, IL, from April 17 to 20. The architect, who is a graduate of Cornell University and opened his own architecture firm -- Richard Meier & Partners LLP -- in New York in 1963, has won 30 National American Institute of Architects awards and more than 50 regional design awards for his prestigious projects that often incorporate a large amount of stone, porcelain and glass into their designs.
In our small stone shop, our first real purchase was a bridge saw. When we installed it, we simply could not conceptualize a CNC. At that point in our shop history, we could not finance a ham sandwich. Not only could we not finance a CNC machine, sadly enough, we could not even see it down the road. That all changed in a span of only a few years.
One of the most established companies in the Vitória region of Brazil, Vixtiles Marmores e Granitos S/A of Serra, Espírito Santo, began as a specialist in tile production, and it now focuses on slab production - exporting traditional Brazilian granites as well as more exotic materials.
Upon entering the stoneworking facilities at Latina Vitória in Serra, Espírito Santo, Brazil, one of the first impressions is the level of organization and efficiency within the plant. Stone materials move through the machinery like parts in an automobile assembly plant, and the company’s large indoor storage facilities are impeccably arranged to make slab viewing as smooth and easy as possible.
Always looking for new materials to sell to its clients, Andrade S/A Mármores e Granitos of Serra, Espírito Santo, Brazil, has added a number of quarry sites to its operation. These acquisitions, along with continual investment in state-of-the-art stoneworking machinery, has allowed Andrade S/A to maintain its position as one of the leading stone producers in Brazil.
Last year, Brazil exported a record $538.2 million worth of granite to the U.S. market, far eclipsing 2005’s total of $392.8 million. With this in mind, the timing of the Vitória Stone Fair has made it an increasingly popular destination for Americans and other international visitors, who come to Brazil not only to tour the many stone varieties on display at the exhibition, but also to visit the many stoneworking plants in the Vitória region.
The use of slate from Liguria, Italy, dates back at least 2,000 years - as evidenced by the discovery of ancient tombstones using this material. Today, the “La Vera Lavagna” consortium (literally translated to mean “The true blackboard”) quarries slate in two areas of Liguria - one near San Remo and one near Portofino. Once the material is extracted, it is processed into a vast collection of finished products by companies such as L.E.A.N.I. Slate-Garbarino & Cueno - for both residential and commercial applications.
Designed by Callison Architecture, Inc. of Seattle, WA, with a vision of “instant access to information by anyone from anywhere,” the Boeing World Headquarters in Chicago, IL, features 275,000 square feet of sophisticated office space. Further enhancing the corporate design, the 30th floor reception area features slate flooring, which was quarried by Burlington Slate, Ltd. in England.
RSS