Terrazzo wird in der Regel aus Marmorsplittern (auch andere Steine oder Glas sind möglich) erzeugt, die mit Hilfe eines Bindematerials, z.B. Zement, zusammen gefügt werden. Um die Unregelmäßigkeiten der Oberfläche zu beseitigen, wird diese nach der Trocknung noch um 3-5mm abgeschliffen, sodaß eine glatte, ebene Oberfläche entsteht.

Der Kreativität sind keine Grenzen gesetzt, so lassen sich beispielsweise bunte, chaotische Muster genauso wie regelmäßige geometrische Figuren umsetzen – wobei letztere natürlich aufwendiger in der Erzeugung sind, da diese zuerst verlegt werden müssen, bevor die typischen, „zusammengewürfelten“ Muster gelegt werden.

Die Arbeit ist sehr komplex – sie erfordert nicht nur viel Know-How über Naturstein, sondern auch ein Auge für Schönheit und Liebe zum Detail. In der Manufaktur Vianello kommt, wie oben erwähnt, nur Handarbeit zum Zug – wobei das Verhältnis von Marmor zu Zement um 70:30 liegt – deutlich zugunsten von Marmor gegenüber einer maschinellen Erzeugung, die oft nur ein 50:50 Verhältnis bemüht. Das Resultat kann sich natürlich sehen lassen – und überdauert Jahrhunderte.

Familie Vianello liebt ihr Kunsthandwerk und ist entsprechend „ausgebucht“. Dennoch würden wir uns freuen, wenn einige unserer Kunden, die dieses Art von Naturstein und seine Anwendung schätzen, ihren Weg zu Gabriella, Giorgia, Stefano und Marco finden. Die Website finden Sie unter https://www.vianellopavimenti.it.

Date built: 447 – 438 BC (decorations continued till 432 BC)

Height: 18 m

Base Area: 69.5 x 30.9 metres

Dedicated to: Goddess Athena

Material: Marble and limestone

Located on the Acropolis of Athens, Parthenon was built in the age of Pericles between 447 and 432 BCE and was dedicated to the Goddess Athena. It was constructed to show the world the power of Athens as leaders of the coalition of Greek forces after defeating the Persian armies of Darius and Xerxes. It was also used to house the statue of Pheidias. After its construction, the temple was used for more than a thousand years. Even after the effects of time, explosions, pollution damages and looting, it still stands tall today in the city of Athens, a magnificent testimony to the glory and success the city has endured throughout its time.

The Parthenon became the largest Doric Greek temple. It integrated the two architectural styles of Doric and newer Ionic. The temple spread to a 30.88 by 69.5-meter ground coverage and was constructed using the 4:9 ratio in many ways. The space between the columns with respect to their diameter, the height of the whole building as compared to its width, and the width of the inner cella in relation to its length are all designed according to this ratio. The brilliant architects of the time realized that anything perfectly straight of this magnitude would seem curved from afar. To cater to this problem and give the illusion of perfectly straight and symmetrical lines, the columns bend slightly inwards. This also provides an impression of a lifting effect on the structure, making it seem lighter than what the building materials portray. Adding to this, the stylobate of the temple’s floor is slightly curved and rises from the centre. The columns also thicken ever so slightly at the centre, and the four corner columns are imperceptibly wider than the rest. All of these traits contribute to its incredible grand and symmetrical appearance and give the impression of it being perfectly straight.

The columns were made of Pentelic marble, whereas the foundations were made of limestone. These columns were Doric with 8 in number when seen from the front and back and 17 from the sides. This was unusual as the more traditional design was six by 13 Doric arrangement. In the interior, the cella was outlined by six columns at the front and back. A grand door leads to this space with decorations lined with bronze, ivory and gold. It consisted of two rooms, the smaller of which, was supported with four columns and was used as the city’s treasury. The larger room housed the statue and was surrounded by columns on three sides. The roof of the temple was made from cedar wood and marble tiles. Palms and figurines towards the corners decorated these. The edges of the roof also incorporated lion-head shaped water spouts for drainage.

Die rein technischen Charakteristika sind es jedoch gar nicht, sondern vielmehr die unglaubliche Vielfalt an Ästhetik, die dieser Stein zu bieten hat. Sehen wir uns ein paar wirklich herausragende Monumente an.

Der Taj Mahal (Indien)
Dieses Mausoleum bedarf eigentlich gar keiner Einleitung: berühmt in aller Welt ist der Taj Mahal wahrscheinlich eines der berühmtesten Bauwerke überhaupt. Die Kuppeln und Türme, die ihn unverkennbar machen, sind aus reinem Marmor, und auch im Innenbereich finden sich Marmorwände, die wiederum mit Edelsteinen verziert sind.

Das Pantheon (Rom)
Das Pantheon in Rom ist ebenfalls ein sehr bekanntes Bauwerk der Antike. Es wurde zu Ehren der Römischen Götter im Herzen von Rom errichtet und verfügt über beeindruckende Marmorwände und Marmorböden, sowohl im Innen- als auch Außenbereich. Die Böden wurden zudem oft mit geometrischen Mustern versehen.

Die Sheikh Zayed Moschee (Vereinigte Arabische Emirate)
Nach ihrer Fertigstellung im Jahr 2007 wurde diese Moschee zu einer der bedeutendsten islamischen Gebetsstätten in den gesamten Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten. Der Hof der Moschee ist eines der größten Mosaike aus Marmor weltweit. Dieses Gebäude zählt zu den herausragendsten Marmorbauten der Moderne.

Das Washington Monument
Dieses Monument ist der weltgrößte aus Naturstein errichtete Obelisk und konkurrierte auch lange mit anderen Gebäuden um das höchste jemals gebaute Bauwerk. Der Bau erfolgte im wesentlichen in 2 Phasen – ein Umstand der an der Farbe des Marmors ersichtlich ist: Etwas mehr als das erste Viertel wurde in der ersten Phase errichtet, der große Rest über 2 Jahrzehnte später – mit Marmor aus einer anderen Quelle.

Abandoned: 14^th century A.D.

Location: Southwestern Anatolia

Periods: Roman Republican to High Medieval

Material: Marble, travertine, calcite alabaster, and polychromatic breccia

Hierapolis is the ancient Greek Holy City, surrounded by the unreal landscape of Pamukkale in southwestern Anatolia. It is referred to as Holy City in archaeological terms due to the abundance of religious buildings and temples discovered there. Situated about 20 km north of Denizli, the ancient city is said to be located near several historic areas including Laodicea and Tripolis which was in Kario’s Border. The name Hierapolis is given to the city because of its Mother goddess Cult.

Although the information about Hierapolis is still unclear, it is known in history that the city was founded in 190 BC by the king of Pergamum, Eumenes II. The name of the city was inspired by the Amazon’s Queen Hiera, the wife of Telephos, the founder of Pergamum.

However, Hierapolis was struck with an earthquake and was destroyed in 60 A.D. during the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero. Following this event, the city was reconstructed but unfortunately lost its Hellenistic Style and became a typical Roman City. It became a commercial and religious centre and gained importance due to its position. In the 12th century A.D., the Turks conquered Hierapolis. Eventually, it became a Christian city when a church was founded there through the guidance of Apostle Paul while he resided at Ephesus. This is mentioned in the New Testament, according to Colossian 4:13.

Some of the well-known ruins of this ancient Holy City include the South Byzantine Gate, Building with Triron Fountain, Ionic House, Latrina, Apollon Temple, Middle Age Fortress, City Walls, Theatre, St. Philip’s Martyrium, Churches and the Great Bath Complex.

The primary building materials that are used in the monuments are marble, travertine, calcite alabaster and polychromatic breccia. White, white-veined and grey marble has been used widely throughout the city. This can be seen in the walls of the Middle Age Fortress where blocks of marble were used that contained inscriptions. It is suspected that the inner walls of the Great Bath Complex were also covered with marble through the markings that the stone has left behind.

Similarly, many monumental structures present show signs or remains of marble and other building materials that were commonly used for construction at the time. These stones were widely available in the areas surrounding the city, where they were quarried in excessive quantities.

Construction: 1996 – 2007

Dimensions: 290 x 420 metres

Base Area: 12 ha

Capacity: 40,000 people

Built for: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan

Materials: Marble, gold, semi-precious stones, crystals, and ceramics

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is an excellent example of timeless architecture that represents both the traditions and modernity. It is an iconic structure, standing on the edge of the city, which draws thousands of worshippers and visitors daily. The construction of the Mosque began in 1996. With the help of 3,000 workers and 38 contracting companies, it was completed in 2007 after 11 years. Sheikh Zayed’s sons completed this iconic project, after his death in 2004.

The Architecture
Architecturally, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque is rich with all sort of Islamic traditions but most commonly Mughal and Moorish. The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, the Badshahi mosque in Lahore and Taj Mahal India were the main inspirations for the architecture of the Mosque. The main four Minarets are derived from traditional Islamic Architecture standing at each corner of the courtyard with 107 m height, while the white domes are Moroccan.

This Mosque also borrowed the floral patterns from the real flowers, which are widely spread on the marble floors and columns throughout the Mosque, with a modern twist than a traditional Islamic floral design. Sheikh Zayed himself was fond of flowers and gardens, so he wanted these patterns all over the Mosque to represent heaven.

The Sheikh Zayed Mosque has a lighting system that changes with the phases of the moon like the Mosque is illuminated in white when the moon in full, and dark blue when the moon is a crescent – unlike the traditional green illumination of most mosques in Abu Dhabi.

The Materials
The Sheikh Zayed Mosque is built with all the natural materials including marble, other natural stone, gold, semi-precious stones, crystals, and ceramics. The columns of the outer areas of the Mosque are made of 20,000 marble panels inlaid with semi-precious stones which include amethyst, lapis lazuli, red agate, abalone shell, and mother of pearl, which form the colourful vines and floral patterns that wind their way up the marble. The columns of the main prayer hall are inlaid in mother of pearls. Almost 30 different types of marbles are used throughout the Mosque, including Aqua Bianca, Bianca and Lasa from Italy that is used in the internal elevations, Sivec from Greece and Macedonia being used on the external cladding, Makrana from India being used in the annexes and offices, and East White and Ming Green from China.

Therefore, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque is considered the capital’s most prominent and iconic feature that symbolizes the Modern Islamic Architecture. It was first dreamt of by Sheikh Zayed, whose tomb is also present inside and prayers are sung over the grave 24 hours a day.

Architect: Paul Abadie (originally)

Completed: 1914

Height: 83m

Length: 85m

Width: 35m

Material: Travertine from Château-Landon

The decision to construct the Sacré-Cœur Basilica was not only a religious one: Building a church was a symbol of the belief that the loss of France in the war against the Prussians in 1870 was a moral condemnation of the sins of Paris.

A competition was conducted, and the goal was to build an imposing Basilica true to Christian traditions. The winner was an architect named Paul Abadie, who designed the Basilica in the Roman-Byzantine style. Construction started in 1875, and Abadie was the lead architect until his death in 1884, after which Lucien Magne took over.

Owing to the Basilica located on the Montmartre hill, it overlooks the city of Paris. The highest point of Sacré-Cœur is higher than the tallest point of the Eiffel Tower, making it one of the most noticeable landmarks in Paris.

Even in such a city with an abundance of air pollution, the Basilica has managed to keep its pure white colour. This is mainly credited to the use of Château-Landon stones, which were used for its construction. When this stone reacts with rainfall, the calcite content acts like a bleacher.

Höhe: 73m

Fläche: 17ha

Gebaut für: Mumtaz Mahal

Architektu: Mughal

Material: Marmor

Der Taj Mahal ist wurde vom damaligen Mughal Herrscher Shah Jahan erbaut: Als Mausoleium für seine verstorbene Frau. In den gut 20 Jahren seit 1632 entstand dieses wundervolle Bauwerk am Ufer des Yamuna in Agra (Indien). Der Taj Mahal gilt als eines der bekanntesten architektonischen Wunder der Mughal Architektur und vereint indische, persische ebenso wie islamische Elemente zu einem beeindruckenden Ganzen.

Mitten im Zentrum liegt des Komplexes liegt das Hauptgebäude aus purem, weißen Marmor, der noch dazu je nach Tageslicht die scheinbare Farbe ändert. Im Jahr 1983 wurde dieses Meisterwerk zum UNESCO Welterbe erklärt..

In den weißen Marmor eingearbeitet wurden mit Hilfe der „Pietra dura“ (einer eigenen Technik zur Verlegung von Ornamenten und Mosaiken) Halbedelsteine wie Jade, Lapislazuli, Kristall, Türkis und Amethyst. Die große Kuppel erreicht über 70 Meter an Höhe und wird von 4 kleineren mitsamt Minaretten umgeben.

Der Komplex bietet weiters auch ein beeindruckendes Tor aus rotem Sandstein. Aus diesem sind auch eine Moschee und ein gegenüber liegendes, identisches, Jawab (Spiegel) genanntes Gebäude. Der Garten wird durch Wasserkanäle in 4 Teile geteilt.

Diese ist eine spätantike Zisterne mitten im Zentrum von Istanbul, mehr oder weniger schräg gegenüber der Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia). Sie ist die größte antiker Zisternen in Istanbul. Beauftragt wurde sie vermutlich noch von Kaiser Konstantin, in ihrer heute bekannten beeindruckenden Form erbaut wurde sie jedoch erst unter Kaiser Justinian zwischen 532 und 542. Sie mißt etwa 138 x 65 Meter und diente (wie vom Namen erwartet) als Wasserspeicher für den Großen Palast. Über ihr befand sich eine Basilika, daher auch der sprechende Name der Zisterne.

Warum wir sie hier erwähnen: Das Dach wird von 336 Marmor (!) Säulen getragen. Diese verteilen sich auf 12 Reihen zu je 28 Säulen, wobei die Säulen knapp 5 Meter Abstand von einander haben und gute 9 Meter hoch sind. Der Großteil der Säulen ist korinthischer und ionischer Ordnung, wir finden aber auch einige dorische.

Man sieht natürlich, daß der Zahn der Zeit an den Säulen genagt hat (stand ja auch ziemlich lange unter Wasser…), dennoch ist es beeindruckend, wie lange hier der Marmor als tragendes Bauelement bereits standhält – und das, obwohl es sich in nicht unerheblichem Ausmaß um wiederverwendetes Baumaterial handelt: Viele Elemente wurden von anderen Stätten herangeschafft, ein gutes Beispiel für Nachhaltigkeit in der Antike!

For centuries marble has been a luxury construction material, but its popularity has spiked in recent years, and the leading figures expect that increase in status will continue throughout 2021. Marble is becoming a particularly sought-after material for the home. Not only is it stunningly attractive, but you’ll also find it hard-wearing and surprisingly versatile.

In previous years, we have seen many examples of marble’s versatility in furnishing, lighting, storage, accessories, tableware, interiors, and fashion. Lee Broom, a British designer, used solid Carrara marble in his contemporary ‘On the Rock’ glassware and Nouveau Rebel lighting collections. Robot City, an Italian factory whose mission is to tell stories through marble, creates elaborate objects using skilled handcrafted methods combined with advanced digital technology. Faux applications of marble can also be found in wallpaper, bedding, stationery and clothing lines. Marble can be the perfect companion to other natural materials such as wood, leather, and steel. The marble trestle table ‘In Vain’ by designer Ben Storms incorporates leather and steel and doubles as a standing mirror. ‘All of a Piece’, designed by Dana Cannam in collaboration with Earnest Studio, is a series of modular tabletop pieces that combine marble, wood, and granite. The Aravali side table designed by the up-and-coming designer Tom Goodbun is simple, clean, and evocative in its minimalistic form two-tone marble tabletop.

A luxurious, and let’s face it, a relatively expensive material, a representative of wealth, is sometimes not the smart choice to be used for all of the finishing for the home. However, as the trend goes, now we are seeing the growth of marble accents through sculptures and furniture in contrast to natural materials like wood. A modern and sleek marble sculpture or art fits like a glove on the hand in a setting with wooden floors and metal furniture accents. We see accessories incorporating sculptured marble in the kitchen, bathroom, and lounge. There is no doubt about it that sculptured marble works beautifully alongside the metallic and blush pink trends that have been in play. They were quite simply made for each other, and as long as one trend continues, you can bet the other two will, too.

With the shift in consumer attitudes towards the merits of buying design that is long-lasting, environmentally friendly, and sustainable, it is hoped that marble will be one trend that is here to stay and grow.

Standing on the northern bank of Venice’s Grand Canal is The Palazzo Santa Sofia or the Ca D’Oro (House of Gold), whose intricately carved marble façade only gives a glimpse of its original glory. This house is one of the most notable examples of late Venetian Gothic architecture, which infused the existing concepts of Moorish, Byzantine and Gothic architecture into a unique aesthetic that symbolized the Venetian Republic’s cosmopolitan mercantile empire. Built initially as the luxury residence for Main Contarini, a wealthy Venetian businessman and politician, the palazzo has been owned by many people and has been renovated several times over its lifetime before ultimately becoming a museum for medieval paintings and sculptures.

The young Venetian Republic saw a period of unprecedented prominence in the early 15th century. A series of military victories transformed the maritime city-state into one of the most powerful entities on the Italian peninsula. The impressive trade networks coupled with the resources gained from these acquisitions proved so profitable that, by the 1420s, Venice was officially the wealthiest state in the whole of Europe.

During this optimistic time, Marin Contarini commissioned the construction of his new palace on the banks of the city’s Grand Canal. The Contarini family were among the most influential of Venice’s noble families. It was under their leadership that the Republic had defeated Genoa in 1380. Therefore, it only fitted that Marin’s new palace would reflect his family’s standing.

Its size and location were the first indicators of its grandeur nature. Most medieval cities were dense, crowded spaces. Therefore, just the cost of the site (35 by 22 metres) in the heart of Cannaregio was in itself an extravagant trait. However, the palazzo’s waterfront façade was the most significant expression of wealth and power out of all its qualities.

It was a norm at the time that buildings were primarily built using brick, which was lighter and cheaper to use than stone. It was a typical practice to cover the brick structures with a lime mortar to achieve a pleasant aesthetic finish. However, in the case of the Palazzo Santa Sofia, the bricks were sheathed with marble. This was without a doubt the sole reason why it took over forty stonemasons to complete its construction.

Several dozen artisans worked on a single façade for over a decade, which resulted in the complex mosaic of decorative elements that made up the building’s front. The decorative features differed from floor to floor, as the work was done on the building with two different groups of stonemasons lead by two different masters, all at different times, before being assembled under the supervision of another master builder. An exciting element of the design is that a few aspects like the balustrades of the upper levels and the capitals supporting the ground-level arcade were recycled from the old house that stood in its place previously. Everything else was carved and built specifically for the new palazzo.

As extravagantly luxurious as the stonework was, it was not up to the satisfaction of Marin Contarino. A lot of the palazzo’s decorative elements, including the spherical stone elements, the carved leaves on the capitals, and various other sculptural details, were embellished with gold leaf. Other elements were highlighted within ultramarine blue, black, white and red paint, accentuating the fine stonework underneath. This paint was a symbol of great wealth at the time as it was made of crushed lapis lazuli imported from Afghanistan. This commodity was considered more valuable than gold, and Venice was the gateway through which this paint entered Europe. Out of all this, it was the gold leaf coverings of the façade that had the most lasting impression even centuries after it has worn away. This gave the palazzo its nickname of Ca D’Oro, which translates to the „House of Gold‘.

The extravagance of the canal façade has a stark contrast to the rest of the palazzo. No marble sheathing is present on the walls facing the inner courtyard, thus exposing the true brick façade. Despite being visible from the main canal, the eastern wall just around the corner remained uncovered. These façades did not serve as the main gateways into the building; therefore, they were neglected with lower decorative priority. Marin poured the vast majority of his budget into the canal façade and the gateway into the courtyard.

After enduring centuries of use, abuse and reconstruction, the Palazzo Santa Sofia now stands as a testament to the former glory of the Venetian Republic. Although the famous gilding has faded over the years, the ornate stonework and spacious apartments of the palace remain iconic examples of luxury design in the medieval empire at its greatest height.