This month the Slippery Rock Gazette presents some of the outstanding projects honored with a 2023 Pinnacle Award of Excellence. Look for more photos of the award-winning projects in the April online edition of the Slippery Rock.
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Natural Stone Institute
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The goal for this project was to feature the unique characteristics of natural stone. As a high-end chef and restaurateur, the clients value quality and the beauty that this planet provides.
In this case, it was Calacatta Wow 2cm marble imported from Italy, Asian Statuary 2cm marble slabs, Asian Statuary 12 x 24 inch tiles, a custom waterjet floor patterned from Asian Statuary, Bardiglio, and Bianco Carrara marbles, and custom staggered joint Asian Statuary mosaic.
It was also important to the clients to create a high-end timeless design with handcrafted features. The scope of the work involved the main floor, shower, and vanities.
The main floor pattern was a custom-designed waterjet pattern by Ceramic Harmony, fabricated and installed over a radiant floor heating system that included the shower floor.
The curb-less shower floor features a custom fabricated invisible drain along the wall underneath the shower seat.
The shower also features a custom shelving system with integrated shower seat fabricated entirely of mitered 2cm marble. The entire window-surround is fabricated out of 2cm marble.
The mosaic shower ceiling is arched, including a custom designed and fabricated magnetized vent cover.
The marble vanities feature scalloped backsplashes with a relief detailed edge profile.
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Natural Stone Institute
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In the heart of Dover, Massachusetts, a remarkable kitchen boasts a dolomitic marble renowned for its elegance and durability. Quarried by Pazigram in Brazil, the Super White slab captivates with its composition of calcium magnesium carbonate. Parallel layers of mineral crystals create mesmerizing patterns and intricate veining, enhanced by the interplay of fissures and dry veins. This distinctive composition makes dolomitic marble a sought-after choice, infusing spaces with timeless beauty and sophistication.
Super White dolomitic marble, a material of complexity, poses unique challenges for fabricators. The stone’s inherent hardness and intricate composition demand meticulous handling during fabrication, cutting, and polishing. Prior to cutting, meticulous planning and organization were crucial in this project to keep the slabs’ integrity. The specification and orientation of the design ensured mesmerizing patterns were showcased, especially in the full-height backsplash and pantry. The pantry, a testament to seamless integration, was crafted from a single slab, showcasing the team’s precision, requiring a dedicated team of five experts, resulting in a flawless installation radiating elegance and sophistication.
To enhance the allure of the Super White, the client opted for sleek white cabinets adorned with gold hardware and Dorn Bracht fixtures. This thoughtfully curated combination created a harmonious symphony, allowing the stone’s natural beauty to take center stage. The pristine white surfaces provided the perfect backdrop, while the gold accents added a touch of opulence, capturing the essence of refined luxury.
The countertops and backsplash epitomize the harmonious union of artistry, craftsmanship, and the timeless beauty of Super White. From the meticulous selection of the slabs to the precise handling of the material during installation, every step showcases the mastery of this woman-owned company dedicated to pushing boundaries in the natural stone industry. This project represents the pinnacle of achievement, inspiring future innovations in natural stone design.
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Natural Stone Institute
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Originally constructed in 1913, the historic Missouri State Capitol dominates Jefferson City’s skyline from all directions. The classical revival building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969 and remains a treasure to the State of Missouri. Resting on a limestone bluff on the south bank of the Missouri River, it totals 500,000 square feet and sits on three acres of land.
The exterior stone is Missouri limestone coming from The Carthage Crushed Limestone Company, founded in 1888. It was once the largest gray marble quarry in the world and its marble can be found on many federal buildings throughout the country. The Capitol building features a symmetrical design, front columned portico with Corinthian style columns of full height, a front facing gable roof on the portico and a cornice.
In need of urgent repairs after 100 years of weathering, an extensive exterior restoration of the Carthage marble-clad Capitol was completed. The scope of work focused on restoring the deteriorating stonework facades.
The team removed, fabricated, and installed over 4.5 million pounds of stone, including 8,000 custom fabricated pieces, and removed over 500 carved units.
The team also re-pointed 147,000 linear feet of mortar joints with a historically compatible mortar. Approximately two million pounds of scaffolding equipment was used to complete the project.
The restoration also included the Capitol’s top tenant. After 94 years, Ceres, the iconic statue on top of the dome, was removed and conserved. The 10-foot-4-inch sculpture of the Roman Goddess of Agriculture was dismantled using a 550-ton crane, allowing skilled tradespeople to access and remove the statue while hundreds watched to see the historic figure up close.
The careful and meticulous restoration of the Capitol brought back its original grandeur as the building entered its second century.
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Natural Stone Institute
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Marble melds nature, architecture, and sculpture together at 2100 Pennsylvania Avenue, a LEED Gold, mixed-use development on the northeast corner of the George Washington University campus.
Stone procurement for 2100 Penn Ave started during concept design. The team explored an array of medium to dark-colored stones to address both durability and natural beauty. For the exterior storefronts and entry paving, the team selected flamed Zimbabwe Black granite. This was also selected for all restroom vanity tops. For the greatest scope of stone, located in the interior entry lobby, grand stair, and atrium, the team selected Turkish Dark Olive marble. The design architect visited the Dark Olive quarry in Sivas, Turkey, and conveyed the rich array of possible finishes, particularly a leathered surface (sand blast with brush and seal) combined with a high-honed accent.
The stone fabrication achieved unprecedented levels of quality through a thorough, 100% dry-lay review process, including all dimension stones and curving slabs of the grand stair. The architects refined the design multiple times to better suit the review and blending process. The paving design included four different sized pieces that resulted in the highest yield per slab. By incorporating a regular high-honed accent, the stone paving had regular breaks that afforded better blending tolerances for the entire project. Special wood scaffolding was employed to facilitate the complete dry-lay of all wall, stair, ramp, and paving stone together.
The most challenging parts of the installation were the ramp and walls at the grand stairs. The 100 percent dry-lay reviews helped assure a smoother process, but there were still issues of unavoidable cupping. In select areas, the installer had to grind and refinish the leather surface to match throughout. This proceeded after a careful review of additional mockups and input from the installers, architects, and owners.
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Natural Stone Institute
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Texas Tower, the new global headquarters for Hines Development, is the latest addition to the downtown Houston skyline. The architect designed the 47-story, 1.2 million square foot structure from the inside out to create the next generation of office space.
The interior lobby is nothing short of specular. Upon entering the lobby through an elliptical glass entry, your eyes are immediately drawn to the 30 foot tall x 35 foot long curved, scalloped, and edge-lit white marble wall. The “V” shaped stone pattern flooring in Silver Mink marble from Turkey seemingly leads you to it. The unique design required every piece of the floor and every vertical course of wall stone to have different piece sizes. Bianco Macchietta marble from Italy is used throughout the lobby which includes the scalloped feature wall, eight 30 foot tall columns, a grand staircase, and three 30 foot tall main elevator lobbies. Above each of the 24 elevator doors, the Macchietta marble is 2 inches thick to allow for 1 inch deep by 3-1/4 inch-wide flutes to be carved into the stones.
The base of the wall is loaded onto a 3/16 inch angle with a 1/2 inch x /4 inch stainless steel bar welded to the edge of the angle. The stainless-steel bar protrudes 1/4 inch from the face of the stone giving it a unique detail. The piece sizes vary, but the typical paver size at the interior flooring is 3 feet x 5 feet x 3 cm thick. The average interior stone wall size is 2 feet 6 inches x 4 feet x 3 cm thick, with a few larger fluted walls at 5 feet x 4 feet x 2 inches thick.
The pandemic heightened manpower and supply chain challenges caused the flow of work became inconsistent throughout the project. While these issues put a strain on the construction schedule, they never extended the final completion date.
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Natural Stone Institute
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The Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance Act was passed in 2016, authorizing the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation to construct a Wall of Remembrance at the existing memorial to honor the 36,634 members of the U.S. Armed Forces who died in the war and the 7,174 Koreans who died supporting the U.S forces.
The design of the Wall of Remembrance focused on minimizing the visual impact to the existing memorial by adding a circular, low angled granite wall around the perimeter of the original memorial. The wall is made up of one hundred individual granite blocks weighing between 4.5 and 8.5 tons, engraved with the names of the fallen. The large, wedge-shaped blocks with their sloped, conical surfaces and relatively tight ¼-inch joints required precision in both layout and installation to maintain the proper wall geometry and alignments with other memorial elements.
Along with the addition of the Wall of Remembrance, the project included refurbishing some of the existing memorial elements: an expansion of the original memorial plaza to provide a circulation area for viewing the Wall of Remembrance, the salvage and re-installation of the plaza cobblestone paving, new sealant joints at the existing Field of Service granite paving, new granite benches and tree grates at the expanded plaza, modifications to existing granite paving to accommodate a new lighting design at the Mural Wall, and a new granite United Nations curb with stainless steel inlays. The sandblasted engravings at the granite Casualty Curb were also replaced with new inlays of stainless-steel lettering.
The new Wall of Remembrance successfully honors the 43,808 soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the Korean War and serves as a reminder to all that Freedom Is Not Free.
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Natural Stone Institute
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Our Lady of the Lakes World Peace Plaza project involved furnishing and installing polished black granite for an infinity edge fountain on the University of Notre Dame Campus. The design called for an 18-foot diameter by 2-foot high fountain with an inverted conical shaped fountain base supporting large granite caps. The base and caps were fabricated in six large cubic pieces. Each cap measured 9 feet 5 inches long by 3 feet 5 inches deep and 6.5 inches high, with the base at 8 feet 8 inches long by 1 foot, 4 inches deep and 1 foot, 5 inches high. The six granite caps each have the same prayer engraved on their surface, translated in six different languages.
The granite cap has a weir edge that lines up with 25 radial pavers. The outer 12 pavers are sloped 4 inches to allow water to build up on the interior of fountain before flowing over the bullnosed edge. The fountain cap had to be installed within 1/16 of an inch in all directions to allow the bubbler to trickle water over the side.
Once Murphy Marble located a suitable monolithic black granite, they worked with the design team on the desired number of joints and piece sizes. The granite base installation was simplified by increasing the size of the pieces and transferring the weight load since there was such a large overhang on the conical- shaped base from the cap to fountain base.
Lettering of the six granite caps involved a meticulous layout of each prayer with proper spacing. Full size templates of the lettering in each of the six languages were fabricated. The lettering and words are radial as they had to follow the same radius as the granite cap. With these pieces weighing around 1.5 tons each there was no room for errors..
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Natural Stone Institute
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The Pillars of the Valley is a public art installation in St. Louis, paying tribute to the historic Mill Creek Valley neighborhood. The neighborhood was a thriving 20th century African American community, but it was destroyed in 1959 due to redlining and segregation practices. The Pillars of the Valley monument consists of eight identical hourglass-shaped granite pedestals, each holding a textured V-shaped limestone piece representing hourglass sand. There is also a 42-foot-long horizontal granite plinth that displays a list of resident names, a map, and a dimensional topographical depiction of the neighborhood. The monument is part of the larger Brickline Greenway revitalization project, which aims to connect several neighborhoods and attractions throughout the city with 20 miles of pedestrian-friendly pathways and green spaces.
Mesabi Black. granite was chosen for the monument due to its stately appearance, symbol of permanence, and ability to withstand harsh Midwestern elements. Coldspring was chosen for their ability to manage complex fabrication requirements, such as the gradual sloping needed on each pedestal piece and the intricate CNC tooling needed to build each level of the contoured plinth.
Coldspring also custom-engineered stainless steel dowel pieces to affix each V-shaped limestone piece to the pedestals. Transporting the large, heavy sections of granite 775 miles posed a challenge, but mobile cranes with reinforced nylon straps were used to set each piece in place at the installation site.
In total, over 1,000 square feet of Mesabi Black. granite was utilized across the eight hourglass pedestals, and an additional 420 square feet was used for the plinth. The Pillars of the Valley monument helps ensure that the stories, contributions, and cultural legacy of the Mill Creek Valley neighborhood remain part of the public conversation.
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Natural Stone Institute
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The community in Terre Haute, Indiana had a vision to reconnect their downtown with the river that runs through it. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of local leaders, a nonprofit arts organization, one artist, and Coldspring, that vision became reality. The ambitious idea would connect downtown with the Wabash Riverfront area through public art, new pathways, and rethinking the use of spaces.
The project features a remodeled plaza and a black granite sculpture. Quiet in nature, the sculpture creates the gentle sound of moving water and, together with the accompanying landscape elements, provides a sense of calm in a place whose purpose might otherwise be stressful. The sculpture includes a carved abstraction of the Wabash River Valley and pools in which the water falls at both ends of the artwork. The sculpture and its integral plaza, designed with paver blocks, are the first phase of the project and function as a catalyst for a future promenade. Future phases will include the development of the promenade with an event space and an elevated overlook that will provide beautiful views of a picturesque portion of the Wabash River.
Mesabi Black® granite was chosen for the sculpture for several reasons, including its ability to withstand Terre Haute’s hard water conditions. Dark-colored stones make a striking visual when used in conjunction with water by enriching the qualities of both the water and the stone. In addition, the benefit of working with a black stone is that when you apply sandblasting and other finished textures to the stone, a beautiful contrast in light and dark tones is created. Elegance and a sense of impeccable artisanship come together to form a place that is born from the City of Terre Haute and its river.
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Natural Stone Institute
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Nestled amongst the rolling acres of suburban Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, you will find a stone oasis clad with full thickness stone and immaculate architectural detail. The exterior façade shows the magnificent presence of a custom Montana stone blend – Canyon Creek/Rustic Ridge argillite, characterized by its earthy tones and rugged texture. As you step inside, the interior echoes the same charm and warmth as the exterior. Montana stone continues to make its presence known in select accent walls throughout the house, creating a seamless transition from the outside. The stone’s rough texture is contrasted with the smooth surfaces of the wooden beams, floors, and ceilings, striking a delicate balance between rustic and refined.
Greeting each visitor in the main level great room is the custom, Montana ledgestone fireplace hearth. Weighing just over 6,000 lbs., this mammoth hearth had to be craned into place before the roof could be installed.
The project required over 3,000 individual stone pieces, with the majority being full thickness. An elite team of stonemasons spent over 2 years building full masonry chimneys and multiple large barrel arches, and hand-shaping each stone into its spot, inside and out. The effort created a masterpiece that far exceeded the owner’s expectations.
The homeowner commented: “We wanted stone that created both a ‘wow’ and a welcoming effect with seamless transitions between the interior and exterior spaces. We also wanted it to be generational and timeless. Stonwerk did a fabulous job of accomplishing our goals.”
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Natural Stone Institute
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What happens when time-honored design, a contemporary leaning “down south” mode and a client with exquisite, yet decisive taste come together? Nothing but pure spectacle. This South Louisiana estate is a triumph of finish and material selection thoughtfully and masterfully executed in an impressive display of some of nature’s finest handiwork.
Step over the threshold and enter a study of the classic black and white palette in the well-appointed foyer, where refined elegance sets the tone for the journey throughout the home. Honed Nero Marquina and Statuary White marble tiles laid in a checkerboard pattern underline the chic space.
Entering the kitchen, you are confronted with the realization of a seemingly impossible dream brought to life through countless hours of design and working with multiple teams of extraordinary craftsmen to deliver the most spectacular application of honed Arabescato Calacatta on the cantilevered island. The rich tones of the charcoal veining are carried through to the second island, the perimeter counters, and backsplashes, winding up the hood wrap, and echoed in the dramatic black painted cabinetry.
In the wine bar, the color tones found in the honed Calacatta Viola are a playful reminder of the purpose of the space; burgundy, blanc, champagne…words not only describing the vintages, but the hues found in the stone.
Retreating to the sanctuary of the primary bath, polished Calacatta Oro marble adorns each surface, establishing a fresh repose from the rest of the home.
Stepping out onto the veranda, the checkerboard pattern is revived in a well-worn installation of tumbled Ocean Grey and Carrara marbles—a poised finale to the dynamic tour de force of what can only be described as a masterpiece of modern design in stone.
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Natural Stone Institute
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In March 2021, Rugo Stone was called to inspect the 142-year-old Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Asbury Park, NJ, which was once a thriving Irish Catholic parish started in 1880. It later declined and eventually closed.
This historic church had a massive and elegant white marble sanctuary, which the client wanted to dismantle, modify, and move to Saint Dominic Parish in Brick Township, NJ.
In August 2022, Rugo mobilized at Holy Spirit and created a detailed as-built set of drawings for the entire sanctuary. Their skilled crews then meticulously dismantled the marble rear altar, altar of sacrifice, side chapels, statues, and the monumental altar rail and gates.
Rugo created an onsite cleaning and cataloging facility, and as the stone elements were dismantled, they carefully cleaned, patched, and restored the marble. Once all the stones were catalogued, crated, and placed in storage. This dismantling and cleaning process took 9 weeks working 12-hour days, 6 days a week. Not a single piece was broken in the process.
The reinstallation process in Brick Township, NJ began January 26, 2023, and was completed April 27, 2023.
Rugo’s team installed all the CMU and red brick masonry support, along with the vast amounts of heavy and fragile marble. Their fabrication studio worked tirelessly to produce a new sanctuary floor made from Bianco Carrara and Red Jasper marbles. The various side shrines, wainscot, and altar rail pieces were dry set in the shop to make selective and precise cuts needed to re-fit the elements to Saint Dominic’s available space.
The restoration of the bas relief of the Last Supper involved carving of some delicate missing or damaged elements such as fingers, facial features, and a 2-inch tall statue head.
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Natural Stone Institute
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Completed in the fall of 2020, the exterior stone restoration of the US Capitol South saw quality craftsmanship at the highest level. While the general cleaning, specialty cleaning, and restoration activities performed on the building were noteworthy, the replacement of the deteriorated carved elements were exemplary.
Hundreds of intricately carved scrolls, large and small acanthus leaves on the column capitals, flutes on the column shaft, as well as rosettes, pendants and brackets on the cornice that were deteriorating and failing were replaced using matching materials. Finish work was performed by hand by highly specialized teams of carvers from Europe and the US, who persevered for seemingly endless hours in extreme conditions. Repair and replacement work at the extremely fragile pediment sculptures, though challenging, was completed with precision.
Replacement stone used for repairs matched the existing stone, which included Vermont marble, Cockeysville marble, Lee marble, Georgia marble, and a few different granites. Existing mortars on the building were analyzed to formulate repair mortars that matched the original in composition and color, and seamlessly blended with the rest of the stone on the building.
Numerous mockups were performed before products were approved for use on the building.
Despite multiple challenges like nighttime working hours, noise, operational controls, planning and logistical constraints, and a very constricted schedule, the perseverance and dedication of everyone on the team ensured that the façade of the building was restored to its original appearance using materials, finishes, techniques, and seamless repairs, resulting in a successful restoration project.
