15-09-2020

Functional and decorative: the two souls of marble in the new Fiandre collections

Style:Interior Floor, Modern, rivestimenti,

TAGS:Grandi formati, Fiandre Architectural Surfaces, Interior Design,

The timeless look of marble brings to mind monumental historic works balancing the practical requirements of construction with decorative impact, such as Mies van der Rohe’s pavilion in Barcelona. Fascinating and original varieties of green and white marble inspire the new collections of Marmi Maximum slabs created by Fiandre Architectural Surfaces: marbles from a variety of different countries which all share the prestige of a material that, in the form of ceramic maxi-slabs, can be used as an exclusive wall covering or to make refined items of furniture

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The key to many of the projects that have gone down in the history of classical architecture, marble has also been used in great masterpieces of the modern age, taking advantage of its many functions.

The variety of colour, innate elegance, beauty and luxury offered by the many different types of marble are only a few of the properties that make the material so fascinating and popular among designers for creating coverings, walls, partitions and floors.

Green marble, for example, along with travertine and onyx, is one of the most important materials used in the historic German pavilion built by Mies van der Rohe for the 1929 World’s Fair in Barcelona.

Commissioned by the German government, the master of the Modernist Movement designed the Pavilion as a temporary exhibition space intended to represent the "spirit of a new era".

Van der Rohe designed the rectangular main volume of the building as an apparently simple single room characterised by fluid spaces, with no particular differentiation between outside and inside.

This important aspect was achieved using surfaces of evident prestige: from the golden red onyx of the big wall inside to the travertine from Lazio used in the base and the long bench, and the choice of two varieties of green marble from quarries in Greece and Italy.

These materials were chosen for their function in the construction, as dividing elements, as well as for their highly expressive decorative power.

Simple and practical, in accordance with the architect’s famous motto "less is more", the Pavilion is considered a masterpiece of modern architecture and still provides inspiration for daily living, and for masterful, versatile use of materials.

The large size of high-tech ceramic and its ability to reproduce and improve on quarried stone offers the ideal response for surfaces in spaces of original, modern, personal design.

Examples include the recent Marmi Maximum collections from Fiandre Architectural Surfaces.

Maximum is an innovative maxi-slab (300x150 cm) offered by Fiandre for architecture and interior design projects of all kinds, establishing visual continuity by juxtaposing large slabs.

In addition to its large size, Maximum stands out for its reduced thickness of only 6 mm and the many advantages high-tech porcelain has to offer "in terms of hardness, mechanical strength, non-absorbency and cleanability". The versatility of large slabs is demonstrated by their use not only as floor and wall coverings, but for making furniture for the bathroom, tables and countertops, sliding doors, consoles, mobile partitions, cabinets and chairs.

Many of the collections in the Maximum line reproduce the textures of wood, stone, resins and precious gemstones, while the vast Marmi Maximum range is a collection of key importance for today’s interior design projects, the perfect synthesis of tradition and technical innovation.

This collection of Fiandre Architectural Surfaces has now been expanded with the addition of three fascinating green marbles - Alpi Chiaro Venato, Irish Green and Verde Fantastico - along with two new whites, Apuano Purissimo and Invisible.

Alpi Chiaro Venato features a deep green backdrop with light and dark patches interrupted by veins of white, while "the bright finish adds depth to the colour and enhances its texture".

Irish Green is inspired by a rare ancient marble and by the colours of the Irish landscape, impressing all its enigmatic beauty on ceramic slabs reproducing natural elements linked with earth, grass and sand.

An uneven Irish Green backdrop "features shades of cream, sepia, brown and gray interrupted by veins reminiscent of crystalline calcite".

Highly evocative Verde Fantastico, on the other hand, is inspired by Iranian marble. This maxi-slab features a dark green background enriched with white, brown and ochre details. The "snakeskin" motif recalls the rainforest with its original stripes and numerous varieties of hue.

A classic white marble available with a glossy or semi-gloss finish, Apuano Purissimo features a "characteristic white background interspersed with the lightest grey veins that fade into shaded areas".

Elegant, radiant Apuano Purissimo is perfect for bringing airiness and light to spaces, adding a fascinating, exclusive touch.

Invisible is a new Marmi Maximum surface with a pure white background and grey veins of different sizes with specks of gold.

All white and green varieties in the Marmi Maximum range are available with sub-multiples offering the architect great flexibility of use.

Marco Privato

GALLERY