Stone-Ideas.com 
The credo of reusing building materials is recited everywhere, but it is only put into practice on a few occasions. The main reason is often simply that there are no structures for recycling, which means that supply and demand do not meet. Now a very practical solution comes from an area where one would not expect the economical use of resources: For Amsterdam Fashion Week (2024), designer and artist Sabine Marcelis and the natural stone specialists from SolidNature have reused some of the onyx slabs that they had already used for the “ Beyond the Surface“ project for Milan Design Week 2023 (see link below).
In Milan, the stone, placed on glass supports and illuminated from behind, was used together with several other types for a colorful installation in a villa in the design district of Brera; in Amsterdam, the blue onyx slabs have been turned into a fountain. It stands in a pond in Vondel Park and bears the simple name “Vondel Fountain, Stacked.“
The company SolidNature, known for exclusive interior design in collaboration with major brands such as Prada, OMA, Fendi and Yves Saint Laurent, emphasizes the “green“ aspects of the new project: “By repurposing these materials, we not only reduce waste but also showcase the timeless and enduring quality of natural stone.”
After the end of the fair, the fountain will remain in operation for another three months.
“Color Rush“ for the Vitra Design Museum
Sabine Marcelis and SolidNature have already worked together several times and used onyx, for example in the summer of 2024 at the presentation of “Color Rush“ for the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein. There, the designer had set up a free-standing bathroom on the upper floor that visitors could admire from all sides.
However, this was not about recycling.
Individual walls were up to 2.4 m high, made of thin onyx on support panels.
Famous furniture from the Vitra collection stood around them. The play with colors was one of the central themes of the presentation.
SolidNature: Beyond the Surface
Vitra Design Museum: Color Rush
Fotos: SolidNature
(14.10.2024, USA: 10.14.2024)