Gulf Construction Online - All eyes on Verona as Marmomacc opens

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All eyes on Verona as Marmomacc opens

01 October 2008

Italy’s major stone design and technology exhibition Marmomacc opens its doors to a full house this month, with an even more expanded international profile, according to VeronaFiere, the show’s organiser.

The 43rd edition of Marmomacc – the International Natural Stone, Design and Technology Exhibition – will be held from October 2 to 5 at VeronaFiere’s exhibition grounds in Verona, and has attracted new participants from Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Santo Domingo, Syria, Tanzania and Vietnam.
Marmomacc is billed as the annual reference point for the stone industry, which in in Italy alone employs 60,000 employees across more than 11,000 industrial and small business and is worth €4 billion ($5.6 billion) a year.
Following last year’s record-breaking edition which attracted more than 1,500 exhibitors and 65,000 professionals, the 2008 exhibition is set to build on this success, with the 75,000 sq m show fully booked, says a VeronaFiere spokesman
One of the special features of the show will be the ‘Stone from Spain’ pavilion, coordinated by the Federación de la Piedra Natural, and showcasing stone production and technology from Spain over an area of more than 1,000 sq m in Hall 7B.
Other international pavilions include Iran, Portugal, Morocco and Croatia in Hall 11; Brazil in Halls 10 and 11; Turkey, France and Belgium in Hall 9; Egypt and Argentina in Hall 7B; Greece in the Arena Services Centre, in the gallery between halls 6 and 7; and China in PalaExpo.
Other initiatives at Marmomacc include the second edition of ‘Marmomacc Meets Design’ – an innovative project focusing on prototypes developed by companies and designers embracing new trends and applications of stone in homes and building.
‘Marmomacc Meets Design’ envisages guideline topics that will be developed every year. The 2007 edition focused on ‘The Lightness of Marble’ – a challenge to gravity and the very nature of stone.
“The designers tackled the topic with great freedom to interpret lightness not only in terms of weight, colour and luminosity but also in terms of sustainability – for example, by ensuring the least possible use of material,” says the spokesman. “In fact, these designers played with stone and dimensional scales to reveal unexpected visual aspects and astonishing tactile qualities.”
A ‘Lightness of Marble’ exhibition was held earlier this year at the Milan Triennial, a centre for contemporary design, and attracted more than 3,000 visitors. The exhibition will be repeated within the scope of this year’s edition.
This year's Marmomacc, however, will focus on the topic of ‘Skin, Texture’, described as a “stimulating and unusual topic within the scope of design”.
As usual the exhibition will feature the Best Communicator Award, a competition for exhibitors which made their debut in 2007 and rewards the best stand.
Meanwhile, a jury is already hard at work to select the winners for the Biennial International Stone Architecture Award – a competition held in high regard by designers all over the world and which in 2009 will celebrate 22 years and 11 editions.