Photos courtesy of Marmomacc and
The Consultants International Group, Washington, D.C.

An international jury convened in early March in Verona, Italy, to review major architectural projects in stone completed over the last two years. More than 40 projects were evaluated, and the winning projects were recently announced. Awards will be presented at a ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 6, during Marmomacc. The projects will also were featured in an exhibit at the fair.

The Award was created by Veronafiere in 1987 to recognize significant architectural works in stone, as part of the trade fair company's efforts to promote "stone culture."

The winning projects for the 10th Edition — and the reasons they were selected by the jury — are:

Piscinas do Atlantico (Paulo David, Madeira, Portugal, 2005; material: basalt)

Piscinas do Atlantico
(Paulo David, Madeira, Portugal, 2005; material: basalt)
David selects this volcanic stone, which has traditionally been used as a building material on the island of Madeira, to establish an intimate connection with the intense Atlantic Ocean landscape. This material selection also creates a sense of continuity and harmony with his previous project, la Casa das Mudas, also in basalt.

The Piscinas project consists of a large stone open-air "room" looking out on the ocean. It creates a connection between the features of the local landscape and urban spaces.

Marikloster (Cistercian Monastery) (Jensen & Skodvin Arkitektkontor, Tautra Island, Trondheimsfjord, Norway, 2003-2006; architects Jan Olav Jansen and Børre Skodvin; material: Norwegian slate slabs)

Marikloster
(Cistercian Monastery) (Jensen & Skodvin Arkitektkontor, Tautra Island, Trondheimsfjord, Norway, 2003-2006; architects Jan Olav Jansen and Børre Skodvin; material: Norwegian slate slabs)
In Trondheimsfjord, architects Jansen and Skodvin have managed to create a convincing form for this monastery: it is contemporary yet reflects universal values, giving it a timeless quality. Through simple forms and basic materials (wood and slate) they reflect the Cistercian Order's tradition, while providing a modern interpretation of timelessness. The result is a simple and universal architecture, which resists trends.

Right: Ampliación del Banco de España (Rafael Moneo, Madrid, Spain, 2006; material: granite)

Ampliación del Banco de España
(Rafael Moneo, Madrid, Spain, 2006; material: granite)
Moneo's project, coming at a time when architects often seek protagonism through flashy designs, provokes through the simplicity and modesty with which it fits into Madrid's urban landscape. The surreal "non-trendiness" of the project, which completes the original 1800s edifice by subjugating itself to the original structure's main characteristics — particularly the molded stone in the façade — highlights the intellectual vigor of Moneo's work. His addition brings changes that fit in with and enrich the pre-existing building without significantly altering it.

Completamento della Muralla Nazarí (Antonio Jiménez Torrecillas, Granada, Spain, 2003-2006; material: granite slabs)

Completamento della Muralla Nazarí
(Antonio Jiménez Torrecillas, Granada, Spain, 2003-2006; material: granite slabs)
A minimal and minimalist contribution to close a 40-meter breach, which dates from the late 1800s, in the ancient wall that connects the Alhambra to the Albaicin area. Jiménez Torrecillas uses fragments of local granite slabs to repair the hole, while successfully avoiding the impression that his contribution simply seeks to mimic the original wall.

Remodeling of A Two-Family Home (Beniamo Servino, Pozzovetere, Caserta, Italy, 2001-2006; material: local tuffaceous stone)

Remodeling of A Two-Family Home
(Beniamo Servino, Pozzovetere, Caserta, Italy, 2001-2006; material: local tuffaceous stone)
Servino's work is seen as an expression of cultural renewal that reflects values and characteristics related to a specific local identity. The simple Pozzovetere structure is an architectural work that highlights the importance of local history seen as the development of a specific regional culture.

Memorial for the Fosse Ardeatine (Ardeatine Caves) Victims (M. Fiorentino (1918-1982), G. Perugini, N. Aprile, C. Calcaprina, A. Cardelli, Rome, Italy, 1944-1951; material: granite and Roman Tuff)

"AD MEMORIAM" PRIZE
Memorial for the Fosse Ardeatine
(Ardeatine Caves) Victims (M. Fiorentino [1918-1982], G. Perugini, N. Aprile, C. Calcaprina, A. Cardelli, Rome, Italy, 1944-1951; material: granite and Roman Tuff)
The dramatic 1944 massacre at the Ardeatine caves, along the ancient Appian Way, seemed to lend itself to a traditional memorial approach. Instead, the group led by Mario Fiorentino opted for strong imagery, full of finality and pathos: a large parallelepiped suspended, as a single "gravestone" for the 335 victims, surrounded by an imposing stone polygonal wall. The stone — the tuff in the outer walls and in those of the memorial, in the pavements, and in the remodeled tunnels, as well as the point-hammered granite of the graves — treated only with archaic simplicity, acquires an unusual expressiveness.

Hill Region of Northern Verona Province (Architecture in Lessinia Stone; materials: Lessinia Stone and Prun Stone)

VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE PRIZE
Hill Region of Northern Verona Province
(Architecture in Lessinia Stone; materials: Lessinia Stone and Prun Stone)
The architecture of Lessinia is an exceptional collective work created thanks to a longstanding tradition of superior construction skills. It is unique and extraordinary in its total reliance on stone within such an ample territory. Local structures reflect a knowledgeable and creative use of lithic material, a sedimentary limestone characterized — in its white to pinkish "chipped" scaglia rossa veneta and pinkish to reddish rosso ammonitico versions — by the overlapping of regular and thin stone layers that are easy to separate thanks to even thinner layers of clay.

Using this stone, separated into "naturally" cut slabs, unknown chiselers and humble masons designed the architecture and landscape of vast areas of the Verona hills, in what today might be considered a vast collective work of Land Art, showcasing the expressive power of simple materials.

Within the Lessinia area, special recognition goes to an exceptional structure:

Modesto's Shed and Icehouse (Modesto Paggi (1843-1928), Roverè Veronese, Verona, Italy)

Modesto's Shed and Icehouse
(Modesto Paggi [1843-1928], Roverè Veronese, Verona, Italy)
The "architect" Modesto Paggi, a farmer, built this small rural structure, which is connected to an icehouse, between the late 1800s and the early 20th century. The shed's walls rise through the overlaying of enormous stone slabs in a "knife" pattern. Paggi's approach exploits the concept of linear construction to connect the single stone monoliths. The structure's integration into the Lassinia area and surrounding countryside make it a poetic and memorable work.

• Return to table of contents

www.buildingstonemagazine.com

Building Stone Magazine
©2007 by Building Stone Institute
www.buildingstoneinstitute.org
All rights reserved

Web Site by:
Lionheart Publishing, Inc.
506 Roswell Street, Suite 220, Marietta, GA 30060
Phone: 770-431-0867 | Fax: 770-432-6969
lpi@lionhrtpub.com
www.lionhrtpub.com