The Marble Institute of America, Inc. (MIA) announced the winners of its prestigious 2004 Pinnacle Awards competition, which recognizes excellence in commercial and residential natural stone projects worldwide.

Ten projects were singled out from nearly 50 entries for demonstrating superior beauty, creativity, ingenuity and craftsmanship by MIA-member stone suppliers, fabricators and installers. The winning projects range from a magnificent residential fireplace to a world-class cathedral complex.

Awards of Excellence and Awards of Merit were given in four categories: Residential Interior/Exterior, Commercial Interior, Commercial Exterior and Restoration. New this year was a “Special Award of Merit for Use of Stone,” for stonework installed aboard a luxury yacht.

Serving as judges for the competition were: Richard A. Booms, MIA's Immediate Past President and President of Booms Stone Co. Redford, MI; Paul Culpeper, AIA, OAA, RAIC, Project Architect at SmithGroup Architects, Detroit, MI; Charles J. “Chuck” Muehlbauer, MIA's Technical Director; and Modris “Mike” Pudists, AIA, Principal of Minoru Yamasaki Associates, Inc., an architectural firm in Detroit, MI.

“The outstanding quality of the natural stone projects that are submitted for the Pinnacle Awards year after year is always an inspiration,” said MIA President Paul Vigna, President of the Stone Division at Artisan Tile & Marble Co. of NJ, Inc. in Somerset, NJ.

“As each of these projects demonstrates, the beauty, longevity and value that natural stone adds is unsurpassed, whether for large or small applications, residential or commercial, typical or extraordinary,” Vigna continued. “Once again, we are reminded why natural stone remains the premier building material of choice for architects, designers and their clients worldwide.”

MIA presented the Pinnacle Awards to winners in October at its Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, CA. The meeting is held in conjunction with StonExpo.

Residential Interior/Exterior Award of Excellence
Project: Private Residence, Cherry Hills, CO
MIA Member Company: The Denver Marble Co., Englewood, CO, Stone Fabricator & Installer

Project Description: The grand fireplace in this home measures over 7 feet tall and 9 feet wide. The Denver Marble Co. used 2-cm Gascogne Beige slabs with several 3-cm-thick strips for the molding across the mantle. The “rams head”-style corbels on top of the fireplace legs incorporate 17 laminates stacked side-by-side. To give the appearance that the fireplace was built with heavy cubic stock stone, all components were mitered and/or laminated.

Other Project Team Members:
Architect/Designer: Concept Studio
General Contractor: Newmyer Contracting
Stone Suppliers: Concept Studio, Walker Zanger

Judges' Comments: “Fabrication at its best”... “Great job of laminating with excellent craftsmanship”... “Classic Italian design” … “Fantastic fabrication of veneers”... “Subtle elegance.”


Residential Interior/Exterior Award of Merit
Project: Bluth Residence Master Bath, Lake Tahoe, NV
MIA Member Company: Radtke Tile & Marble, Inc., Carson City, NV, Stone Fabricator & Installer

Project Description: Opulent features of the 500-square-foot master bath in this Old World chateaux-style estate include a 20-foot marble vanity counter, a white onyx tub deck with two solid 8-inch diameter white onyx columns, a book-matched marble steam shower and white onyx flooring with a sunburst panel spanning 6 feet in the center of the room. Marble flooring was used for an adjoining closet, which boasts an onyx center island for wardrobe layout. Radtke Tile and Marble imported the onyx from Jordan, and the columns were hand-turned in Italy.
Other Project Team Members:
Architect/General Contractor: Chuck Bluth
Stone Supplier/Fabrication Coordinator (Italy): Marble Unlimited, Inc.

Judges' Comments: “Elegant opulence at its best”... “Stunning beauty”... “A powerful geological statement”...
“Very nice use of materials and installation.”


Commercial Interior Award of Excellence
Project: Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Los Angeles, CA
MIA Member Company: Carnevale & Lohr, Inc., Bell Gardens, CA, Stone Installer

Project Description: Natural stonework was incorporated into many areas of this spectacular cathedral, including the altar, baptistery, paving/steps and crypt mausoleum. Numerous challenges included sourcing for unique stone; size, weight and placement issues; maintaining circular floor patterns; and the meticulous attention to detail required to match panels in the crypt. Louie Carnevale and Raffaele Giovetti traveled to Turkey to locate the Rosso Laguna stone for the altar, which is made of an 11,000-pound piece (the mensa), atop a 4,000-pound piece (the pedestal).

Other Project Team Members:
Architects/Designers: Jose Rafael Moneo, Barry Boudreaux
General Contractor: Morley Construction Co.
Sourcing Consultant: Jeffrey Matthews, Trade International, Inc.
Sourcing: Carnevale & Lohr, Inc.; Raffaele Giovetti, Formai Stone SRL
Sourcing/Supply: A.S.I. Stone Imports, Inc.
Supply/Fabrication: Marmoles Tarragona S.A., Cold Spring Granite Co.
Fabrication: Bertozzi Felice SRL, Corsi & Nicolai SRL
Project Manager: Louie Carnevale
Construction Manager: Edmund B. Lohr, IV

Judges' Comments: “Extremely challenging project requiring total care”... “Magnificent marble work”... “Choice of stones was exquisite”... “Crypt walls are magnificent.”

Residential Interior/Exterior Award of Merit
Project: Magee Custom Home, Scottsdale, AZ
MIA Member Company: Stockett Tile & Granite Co., Scottsdale, AZ,
Stone Fabricator & Installer

Project Description: The extreme linear design and construction of this home required precision installation techniques of the selected flooring material, Claire limestone. A perfectly plumb line - centered upon descending windows at a hall's end - facilitated the flow between flooring and the hard lines of the home. The limestone was also used for the living room steps, risers and pony walls and in the master bath. The European-style shower area was created with towel niches, freestanding bench seats and a properly sloped drainage area.

Other Project Team Members:
Architect/Designer: Peter M. Magee
General Contractor/Builder: Magee Custom Homes, LLC
Stone/Tile Supplier: Facings of America

Judges' Comments: “Very nice color blending”... “A refined, modernist interior complementing a curvilinear bathtub.”


Commercial Interior Award of Merit
Project: Aurora Municipal Center, Aurora, CO
MIA Member Company: The Denver Marble Co., Englewood, CO,
Stone Fabricator & Installer

Project Description: Rojo Alicante and Botticino marble, Jura Beige limestone and Absolute Black and Ubatuba granite are all incorporated into approximately 15,000 square feet of flooring, a grand stairway and wainscot walls in the Aurora Municipal Center. Highlights include two starbursts in the lobby, the larger measuring 30 feet across and featuring five different stones. Additional features include thermal-finished Ubatuba nosing at the stairway and stainless steel framed marble wall panels in the elevator cabs.

Other Project Team Members:
Architect/Designer: Barber Architecture
General Contractor: The Weitz Co.
Stone Suppliers: JMS, Germany; IMG, Colorado

Judges' Comments: “Use of stone is most appropriate and used very tastefully”...
“The design represents a calm and subtle cleanliness”... “Nice floor and wainscot work.”


Restoration Award of Merit
Project: Proctor Marble Arch Bridge, Proctor, VT
MIA Member Company: Granite Importers, Inc., Barre, VT,
Stone Supplier & Fabricator

Project Description: The marble deck on the distinctive Marble Arch Bridge had developed a patchwork look due to many years of wear and spot replacement. Town officials wanted a crisp, clean look to match the original bridge. Highland Danby was chosen as the closest match. Full-sized templates were taken from existing stones and used in the fabrication process to ensure an exact match. A total of 528 pieces were produced, totaling 1,457 square feet of marble.

Other Project Team Members:
Architect/Designer: State of Vermont,
Agency of Transportation
Stone Quarrier: Vermont Quarries Corp.
Stone Installer: Angelo Todesco, Inc.

Judges' Comments: “Recognizes the project owner's commitment to preservation.”


Commercial Exterior Award of Excellence
Project: Roppongi Hills, Tokyo, Japan
MIA Member Company: Vetter Stone Co., Kasota, MN, Stone Supplier & Fabricator

Project Description: Roppongi Hills is the largest privately developed project in Japan to date, featuring a mix of commercial and residential buildings as well as open spaces and parks on 28 acres. The dolomitic limestone embracing various areas was quarried in Kasota, MN. Large undulating natural strata stone panels in rusts, browns, golds and creams were used at the base of the structure, with progressively smaller panels in golds and grays adorning the structure's upper levels.

Other Project Team Members:
Architect/Designer: The Jerde Partnership
General Contractor: Mori Building
Stone Installers: Takata Co., Taimec Corp., Sekigahara Stone Co.

Judges' Comments: “Worth going to see personally”... “Elaborate use of the full range of the stone and its finishes”... “Mass has never been defined in such detail”... “Each stone retains its individual character.”

Commercial Exterior Award of Merit
Project: Utah State Capitol Expansion, Salt Lake City, UT
MIA Member Companies: Kepco+ DBI, LLC, Salt Lake City, UT, Installer; Campolonghi Italia SRL, Montignoso (MS), Italy, Stone Supplier & Fabricator

Project Description: When two extension buildings were added to Utah's Capitol Hill, the natural stone cladding had to match the stone on the existing building (circa 1915). Gris Alcazars granite was selected, with Campolonghi Italia SRL instructing its staff to leave in black inclusions that made the material more closely match the existing stone.

Other challenges were to match the finishes of the original structure and incorporate intricate and historically consistent stone detailing using modern construction technology in creating pilasters, columns and balustrades. Each circular column contains 30 pieces of handset stone.

Other Project Team Members:
Architect/Designer: Capitol Design Team
General Contractor: Jacobsen Construction Co., Inc.

Judges' Comments: “Stone and finishes are true to original design and intent”... “Truss panel work at its most complex stage”... “Very ingenious work.”


Restoration Award of Merit
Project: Barclay-Vesey Building (Ground Zero), New York, NY
MIA Member Company: Petrillo Stone Corp., Mount Vernon, NY, Stonecarver, Fabricator & Installer

Project Description: Limestone carvings on the landmark Barclay-Vesey Building in Manhattan that were destroyed during the September 11 attacks have been restored to their original splendor. Although much of the exterior is brick, the feature elements of the facade are limestone, including large cubic pieces and ornately carved panels. The project required 5,000 cubic feet of Indiana limestone with 2,000 square feet of carved surface area and an additional 500 cubic feet of Stony Creek granite for the base of the building.

Other Project Team Members:
Architect: McKenzie, Voorhees and Gmelin Architects
General Contractor: Tishman Construction Corp.
Stone Supplier: Furlong & Lee
Stone Slabbing: Michael & Sons
Project Engineer: Merritt Engineering
Stone Quarriers: Victor Oolitic Stone Co., Granicor Inc.

Judges' Comments: “We recognize the complexity of the handcarving and commitment to difficult detail”... “Impressed by the owner's commitment to maintain the original design.”


Special Use of Stone Award of Merit
Project: Burna Yacht, New Orleans, LA
MIA Member Company: Stone Interiors, LLC, Loxley, AL,
Stone Supplier, Fabricator & Installer

Project Description: The goal for this project was to furnish and install natural stone to standards that would far surpass the extremely stringent quality criteria mandated in a luxury yacht. Stone Interiors delivered by fabricating and installing 2,500 square feet of elaborate designs for the master bath, backlit bar and main deck areas in Breccia Oniciata marble, Lapis Blue and Honey Onyx, all polished finish. The many challenges included maneuvering fabricated end products up and down a central 72-inch diameter circular stairway.

Other Project Team Members:
Interior Designer: Mimi Fitz of Perfect Designs
General Contractor: Trinity Yachts, LLC

Judges' Comments: “The onyx material's qualities are magnified”... “Backlighting of the onyx shows the stone's natural beauty.”