The Marble Institute of America’s (MIA) prestigious Pinnacle Awards honor stone companies around the world for projects that noticeably stand out above the rest. The Pinnacle Awards competition drew a record number of entries in 2010, while also presenting the largest number of awards in its many-year history. However, judging the numerous entries was a challenging task. After the four-judge panel reviewed the entries, they determined the winners of the various categories - residential, commercial and renovation. The final selection was for the top overall project to receive the coveted Grande Pinnacle Award, sponsored by Marmomacc, a leading stone show which is held annually in Verona, Italy. Awards are presented to projects whose beauty, creativity, ingenuity and craftsmanship exemplify professional mastery in the use of natural stone. The Pinnacle Awards are open to all MIA member companies, and projects submitted must comply with MIA standards. This year, the MIA sought to identify and award a project that demonstrates environmental responsiveness and successful resolution of sustainability goals.
2010 Pinnacle Awards Judges:
~ Christian R. Pongratz, Pongratz Perbellini Architects, Verona, Italy ~
~ John Cook, FAIA, Vice President, HGA Architects and Engineers, Minneapolis, MN ~
~ Edward Farr, Edward Farr Architects Inc., Eden Prairie, MN ~
~ Guido Gliori, Immediate MIA Past President, Grazzini Brothers & Co., Eagan, MN ~
Grand Pinnacle Award
Fortaleza Hall and Commons Building Racine, WIMIA Member Company: Mankato Kasota Stone, Inc., Mankato, MN (Stone Supplier/Stone Fabricator)
Client: SC Johnson
Architect: Foster + Partners
Architect of Record: A. Epstein & Sons
General Contractor: Gilbane Building Company
Stone Installer: Arteaga Construction
Stone: Dolomitic limestone/Kasota Rose Blend
Project Description: Located on the SC Johnson Global headquarters in Racine, WI, the project creates companion buildings: Fortaleza Hall, which provides a permanent home for the replica Carnauba and conveys the story of H.F. Johnson, Jr.’s flight; and the Commons, which gives the campus a new social heart. Fortaleza Hall and the Commons were built by the SC Johnson Family as a tribute to the late SC Johnson leader Sam Johnson and his father, H.F. Johnson, Jr. Mankato Kasota Stone’s goal was to achieve the design and aesthetic intent of the architects using dolomitic limestone. Color was also a critical piece in the decision making process, along with creating the radius design of the project. Both played an integral part in achieving some resemblance to the Frank Lloyd Wright building on the SC Johnson Campus. Mankato Kasota Stone used the same quarry for this project as Frank Lloyd Wright did for the copings on his Administration Building. The architectural team wanted to honor and incorporate Wright’s design principles, such as bull-nosed curves on the end of the building, while still maintaining a modern design. The Commons, a solid looking building, has a stone mass that curves around to envelope the east side of the glass pavilion. In contrast to Fortaleza Hall’s open design, the Commons is constructed with solid Kasota stone walls and forms a visual separateness to the steel and glass structure of the hall.
Award of Excellence - Commercial Interior
Tesoro Headquarters, San Antonio, TXMIA Member Company: TexaStone Quarries, Garden City, TX (Stone Supplier)
Owner: Patrinely Group, LLC
Design Firm: Gensler
Landscape Architect: Clark Condon Associates
Civil Engineer: Pape Dawson Engineers, Inc.
General Contractor: D.E. Harvey Builders
Stone Installer: American Stone Co. of Texas
Stones: Texas Pearl limestone, Texas Hadrian limestone, Permian Sea Coral limestone, Breche Oriental marble
Project Description: Tesoro’s new corporate campus headquarters is located on a 40-acre wooded site in the hills north of downtown San Antonio, TX. The facility includes 600,000 square-feet of office space divided between two buildings; a 14-story mid-rise and a six-story low-rise. The design team focused on creating a new, iconic presence for Tesoro, while remaining respectful of the landscape. To this end, the team chose to use local Texas materials to both reinforce the regional flavor and target a sustainable design goal of LEED Silver certification. Native Texas Pearl limestone highlights are key architectural features on both the exterior and interior of the project. A limestone structure forms the main “Stonehenge” entrance and leads into the grand double-height lobby which connects the two buildings. Also accented in limestone are the employee entrance from the outdoor courtyard, and a dramatic “architectural slot” that extends 14 stories high along the building’s side. In addition, a stunning three-level monumental stair is one of the campus’ most impressive design features, with an elliptical shape to mimic the curves of the building, Ribbon Sapele wood panels, Permain Sea Coral limestone floors and custom glass treads that are lit from within.
Award of Excellence - Residential Interior/Exterior
Villa Mayavee, Phuket, ThailandMIA Member Company: Stones and Roses International Co. Ltd., Bangpla Bangplee, Samutprakam, Thailand (Stone Supplier/Stone Fabricator/Stone Installer)
Client: Gabriel Cardona and Paitoon Arunrat
Architect: Martin Palleros, Tierra Design
General Contractor: S. Charoenthongkiat Ltd. Part.
Stones: Black slate, Volcanic Grey basalt, limestone
Project Description: Interpreting the traditional typology of Thai residences; with separate pavilions but including a unity as a whole, the four-level building forms a Z shape with a guest and master wing connected by the elevated living room. The exterior stonework also contributes to creating a sense of unity. The forecourt and drop-off are paved with black slate, leading to a large reflection pond that is paved and clad with the same stone. The reflection pond shadowed by the living space forms a threshold between the forecourt and the expanse of the ocean, while large slabs of black slate pave the walkways. Volcanic grey basalt clad walls with their expressive horizontal pointing, which were worked by alternating two different textures of the same material, pay homage to the clarity of the horizon. The main feature wall is 35 meters long and is capped by the basalt clad water feature of the fourth floor Jacuzzi. Additionally, the interior stonework also plays a significant role in creating this sense of unity as the warm limestone flooring runs across the building and connects all areas through a set of terraces, corridors and staircases. At the centre is the elevated living room - a 35- x 11-meter large rectangular area paved with large slabs of warm honed limestone. The limestone paving connects to terraces, which are paved with the same limestone in a rougher texture, and then continues through the staircases and corridors into the guest wing and the master wing.
Award of Excellence - Renovation/Restoration
O.C. Tanner Flagship Jewelry Store, Salt Lake City, UTMIA Member Companies: KEPCO+, Salt Lake City, UT (Stone Installer); Valders Stone & Marble, Inc., Valders, WI (Stone Supplier/Stone Fabricator); Vytek Laser System, Fitchburg, MA (Stone Etching); Decoro Art Stone, West Jordan, UT (Stone Etching)
Client: O.C. Tanner Company
Architect: MJSA Architects
General Contractor: Big-D Construction
Stone Installers: Caffall Tile, Child Enterprises, Millcreek Tile and Stone
Stones: Valders Buff dolomitic limestone, Valders Dove White dolomitic limestone, Heber Red sandstone
Project Description: In 2008, the O.C. Tanner Company purchased a vacant Salt Lake City landmark and committed to restoring it to its original grandeur. The 18-month renovation of the historic gem concluded with the grand opening of the O.C. Tanner Flagship Jewelry Store. Originally built as a book depository in 1905, the building was later converted into the city’s planetarium. The reconstruction included the removal of a brick addition, cleaning and restoration of the historic limestone cladding, and installation of an innovative new limestone facade. Mammoth slabs of Valders Dolomitic limestone were laser engraved to literally reflect the building’s history. The three-story masterpiece includes a scene from the city library at the bottom, a starry galaxy to represent the building’s days as a planetarium at the top, and a portrait of O.C. Tanner which symbolically unites the images in the center. The resulting entrance worked to achieve a tasteful, yet subtle, merging of past and present. Teamwork and the coordinated efforts of several MIA Members helped to complete this breathtaking exterior, which is currently the largest stone engraving project of its kind in the world. Limestone flooring, patterned inlays, and a flowing spiral stone staircase complement the elegant finishes of the store’s interior.
Award of Merit - Commercial Exterior
MGM City Center Aria, Las Vegas, NVMIA Member Company: Las Vegas Rock Inc., Jean, NV (Stone Supplier/Stone Fabricator)
Stone Installer: Carrara Marble Company of America, Inc. (MIA Member)
Architect/Designer: Pelli Clark Pelli
General Contractor: Perini Building Company
Stone: Meta-Quartzite
Project Description: The City Center Project was awarded LEED Gold Certification by the USBGC, the highest level of LEED achievement given to any hotel in Las Vegas, NV. The material supplied by Las Vegas Rock helped obtain this certification with its Cradle to Cradle Silver Certified status as a sustainable manufacturer of stone. The Aria Resort & Casino, a venue in the City Center project, is where the prominent use of Las Vegas Rock’s meta-quartzite stone is on showcase. Approximately 70,000 square feet of stone was used on this building, with pieces ranging from 9 x 12 inches to 96 x 60 inches, all processed over a 20-month timeframe. Additionally, all cuts were also made within a tolerance of 1 mm. As for the spa tower, it features 2- x 5-foot modular panels of the meta-quartzite with a honed face and a custom split-face accent band. Approximately 5,000 square feet of randomly placed 3-, 5-, 7-cm stone pieces make up the VIP entrance wall. This mosaic pattern, which utilizes panels of varying thickness, gives the wall a three-dimensional architectural relief that is extraordinary and welcomes the resorts’ guests. The overall response to the stone at the Aria resort has been overwhelmingly positive.
Award of Merit - Commercial Exterior
Cedar Hill Government Center, Cedar Hill, TXMIA Member Company: TexaStone Quarries, Garden City, TX (Stone Supplier)
Other Project Team Members:
Architect: Holzman Moss Architecture
General Contractor: Design Hunt Construction
Architect of Record: Wiginton Hooker Jeffrey Architects
Landscape Architect: Newman Jackson Bieberstein
Stone: TexaStone Pink limestone
Project Description: For the first time in Texas history, three community functions are housed under one roof. The Cedar Hill Government Center houses City Hall, the police department and the administrative offices of the independent school district. This unique assembly of activities was generated for public convenience, economy of operations and greater construction value. The effective use of public space motivated this unique assembly of activities. TexaStone Pink, a rose-colored limestone, wraps each of the three major structures facing Uptown Boulevard. One building contains the administrative spaces for the school district, another building contains the City Hall, and the third holds the police department. The sense of permanence associated with older Texas civic structures is heightened by the use of 40,000 square feet of limestone applied in four patterns; six course sizes and three finishes. The creation of varied combinations provides articulated surfaces in the strong Texas sunlight. Smooth sawn blocks form a continuous stepped 5-foot band along the top of the threes structures, which rusticated blocks form the building’s base. In between, ashlar-patterned blocks form a field with random placement of larger blocks, belt courses and special windowsill units. Large vertical windows regularly punctuate the stone, and horizontal recycled metal screens shade the south-facing windows.
Award of Merit - Commercial Exterior
LA Live Hotel and Residences Los Angeles, CAMIA Member Company: SMG Stone Company, Inc., Sun Valley, CA (Stone Supplier/Stone Fabricator)
Architect: Gensler
General Contractor: Webcor Builders
Stone Supplier: Southland Stone
Stones: Indian Pearl Grey sandstone, Black Absolute granite, Black Basalt granite, White granite
Project Description: LA Live Hotel and Residence is the latest addition to the downtown skyline. This expansive development includes the JW Marriot Hotel, Ritz Carlton Hotel and Ritz Carlton Residences. The hotel base exterior wall features 30,000 square feet of mechanically attached Indian Pearl Grey sandstone with a cleft finish, which was inspected at the quarry. Each stone panel was independently supported by stainless steel clips that were used to hang the 12- x 42- x 1 1/2-inch and 24- x 42- x 1 ½-inch pieces. The detailed installation of the wall was designed to create an open joint basketweave pattern. Each elevation was also hand selected and blended in the field to provide a uniform color variation to match the architect’s design intent. As for the entrance of the hotel, it is a blend of Black Absolute, Black Basalt and White granite pavers, where the level 4 and 26 Pool Deck Outbuilding facades are composed of white crystallized glass. SMG worked in partnership with both the general contractor and owner through the construction process by helping achieve schedule milestones. This was accomplished by accurate CAD shop drawings, thorough and comprehensive material releases, aggressively managed material lead times, and exact and expedient fabrication and delivery.
Award of Merit - Commercial Interior
LA Live Hotel and Residences Los Angeles, CAMIA Member Company: SMG Stone Company, Inc., Sun Valley, CA (Stone Supplier/Stone Fabricator)
Architect: Gensler
General Contractor: Webcor Builders
Stones: Crema Marfil marble, Gris Pulpis marble, Calacatta Gold marble, White Wood limestone, Villa Romana marble, Stalatitti Gold marble
Project Description: LA Live Hotel and Residence includes the JW Marriot Hotel, Ritz Carlton Hotel and Ritz Carlton Residences. The total interior scope includes over 450,000 square feet of stone and tile with the contract totaling over $15 million dollars. A majority of the 35 materials used for the project were owner bought and fabricated at SMG’s plant in Sun Valley. The Marriott’s main lobby showcases a sandstone wall, marble flooring, marble and granite countertops, stacked wall tile and porcelain tile flooring. Each of the 878 rooms at the JW Marriot include porcelain, ceramic and glass tile for the flooring and shower walls. The suites feature a custom marble mosaic floor, marble tub decks, vanities and a mosaic wall in the bathrooms. The Ritz Carlton Hotel and Residence lobbies feature a combination of imported marbles in random sizes to make up the stone flooring. The Ritz Carlton condominium’s 212 bathrooms showcase limestone for the vanities, flooring and tub deck. In addition, the kitchen countertops were composed of engineered stone and granite with a combination of granite, limestone and marble for the entryway. A challenge SMG faced was to meet the aggressive TCO date, it required working multiple shifts to accelerate the completion of the project. The work was successfully completed on time with quality.
Award of Merit - Commercial Interior
Sotus International Head Office, Bangkok, ThailandMIA Member Company: Stones and Roses International Co. Ltd., Bangpla Bangplee, Samutprakam, Thailand (Stone Supplier/Stone Fabricator/Stone Installer)
Client: Sotus International Co. Ltd.
Architect: Architect BNA, (Thailand)
General Contractor: B-Nine Construction Co. Ltd.
Stone: sandstone
Project Description: The primary concept was inspired by the core business of Sotus International Co. Ltd., advanced technology fertilizer. The growth of plants relates to light, and the architecture expresses the relation between light, life, nature and growth through the continual change of shadow and light. The textured sandstone walls enhance the change in light and shadow as the sun moves across the sky. SRI’s main input in this project was the design of the pattern of the central lift cage cladding. It was meant by the client as the main feature of the interior design and needed to be unique and combine both textures and recesses. SRI proposed this pattern with random-sized textured beige sandstone slabs, therefore the direction of the texture changes from one piece to the other to create changing contrast depending on the direction and intensity of the light. Sandstone blocks recessing from the main cladding, and featuring the same material in a smooth texture, create more depth and enhance the shadows and light contrast. This piece of work was a technical challenge as every piece needed to be CAD drawn and prepared in the factory. The blocks were produced by assembly of 2-cm-thick slabs, and the edges and corners were smoothed to conceal the joints. Anchoring points for the dry fixing were drawn in the company’s CAD facility and drilled in the factory for assembly on site.
Award of Merit - Renovation/Restoration
Dominican House - Saint Thomas Chapel, Washington, DCMIA Member Company: Rugo Stone, Lorton, VA (Stone Supplier/Stone Fabricator/Stone Installer)
Client: Dominican House of Study
Architect: James McCrery Architects
General Contractor: Whalen Construction Company
Stones: Bianco Perlino marble, Olympian White Danby marble, Rosso Nembro marble
Project Description: This small Catholic Chapel is actually a teaching Chapel for young seminarians being taught how to conduct a Catholic Mass ceremony. The chapel, originally constructed about 60 years ago, was in need of a fresh appearance and new sanctuary design. Rugo Stone was selected to perform the careful dismantle of the existing rear altar which was fused to the rear wall of the Chapel. The highly ornate altar was taken to the shop’s marble restoration factory and repolished and modified to become a free-standing front altar. Rugo Stone was tasked with fabricating a new rear face of the altar to match the Bianco Perlino marble quarried 60 years ago, resulting in a seamless match. Rugo Stone also removed the existing white marble platform, and furnished a new white marble platform of the same Olympian White Danby marble. In addition, a new fused rear altar was fabricated out of Bianco Perlino marble with Rosso Nembro as the accent color. The final phase of the project was the restoration of various round stone statues of Catholic saints, which involved repairing many chips, carving a new hand for the St. Dominic statue and fabricating various radial Bianco Perlino shelves and raised plinths for the sculptures. The project has been well received by the Dominican brothers and was completed ahead of schedule.
Award of Merit - Residential Interior/Exterior
Krungthep Kreetha Residence, Bangkok, ThailandMIA Member Company: Stones and Roses International Co. Ltd., Bangpla Bangplee, Samutprakam, Thailand (Stone Supplier/Stone Fabricator/Stone Installer)
Client: World Trade and Accommodation
Architect: A49
General Contractor: World Trade and Accommodation
Stones: Light Brown sandstone, Blue Gray slate
Project Description: The architecture stands out by the use of non-orthogonal angles, broken lines and arch-shaped windows. The use of stone is innovative in several ways. The gray slate cladding the building is used in a rough grinded finish away from the standard natural cleft surface, promoting the slate as an all application building stone. The project sets a new way to use natural stone for roofing. The large roofs, which are set below the two parallel balconies, are paved with 300-x 1200-mm slabs installed on plastic stands, using the same technique as elevated floors for terraces. The architecture innovates the use of stone as a link to blend modern architecture with the landscape, while the building appears to be suspended in air above ponds, planters and trees. The bluish gray slate blends perfectly with the grass, plants and trees, while creating a feeling of nature, and fostering a smooth connection between the inside and outside.
Special Pinnacle Award of Merit - Craftsmanship
Millard Sheets Mural Restoration, Chase Bank, Rolling Hills, CAMIA Member Company: Carnevale & Lohr, Inc., Bell Gardens, CA (Dimension Stone Contractor/Engineer/Mosaic Restoration)
Owner: JP Morgan Chase
Project Manager: David Carnevale
Consultant: Jeffrey Matthews, Trade International, Inc. (MIA Member)
Art Consultant: Jeannie Denholm, SCAPE
Stones: Emerald Pearl granite, travertine, Byzantine mosaics
Project Description: An historic job combining stone and Byzantine mosaics originally made in 1974 in Rolling Hills, CA, depicts horses with riders and dogs following them with the sea in the background. It is made from 36 panels of stone and mosaic totaling 12 x 37 feet. It required repairing the Emerald Pearl granite panels with travertine liners and also removing and re-installing all the mosaics. During the six months it took for the project to be completed, a very intricate and detailed system was designed to protect the panels prior to removal, during transit and during restoration. This required photographs, a numbering system for each panel, taping panels to stop the continuing loss of mosaics, repairing the granite, cleaning, and basically starting the mosaic installation from scratch to re-install. Carnevale added expansion joints, new anchors and engineering for re-installation. The work shows how stone and mosaics can come together through the artist’s design and last for many more years to come.
Special Pinnacle Award of Merit - Sustainability
Pioneer Courage Park Omaha, NEMIA Member Company: Architectural Granite & Marble, Austin, TX (Stone Subcontractor)
Client: First National Bank of Omaha
Landscape Designer: JVR and Associates
Landscape Architects: HDR Inc.; Brown Sardina Inc.
Architects: RDG Planning & Design; Leo A. Daly Architects
Art Consultant: Boody Fine Arts
Artists: Kent Ullberg, Blair Buswell and Ed Fraughton
Contractors: Hawkins Construction Co.; Kiewit Construction Co.
Stone: Hayton White dolomite
Project Description: Pioneer Courage Park in Omaha anchors a five-city block array of street sculpture, green space and water features. The site, previously used for surface parking, has been revitalized as a civic resource for educational, recreational and aesthetic experiences. Limestone, a white stone from nearby Hayton, WI, was used to achieve many project objectives from unifying the project, to forming the contours required by the narrative, and to the steps and paving that allow hands-on access to the sculpture. The stone was also chosen to address sustainability goals, including durability, low maintenance and controlling storm water runoff as the walls, paving and statue bases were installed over a permeable base. This approach also allows flexibility for rearrangement of new pieces, or reuse if the program changes. The highly reflective stone allows “moonlit” lighting that saves energy and light pollution at night and, in combination with native plantings, minimizes the heat island effect during the day. Additionally, fabrication waste from each product was used for other parts of the project. Attention to the details of processing resulted in water and energy savings, and no waste.
