Stone-Ideas.com 
16 Projekte wurden mit den Pinnacle Awards des Jahres 2024 ausgezeichnet. Dieser international renommierte Preis wird für außergewöhnliche Kreativität, Schönheit, Originalität und Handwerkskunst bei der Verwendung von Natursteinen in gewerblichen und privaten Anwendungen vergeben. Initiator ist das US-amerikanische Natural Stone Institute (NSI).
Einreichungen können nur Mitglieder des NSI machen. Da diese jedoch aus mehr als 55 Ländern kommen, spiegeln die Preise den Stand der Dinge in Sachen Naturstein-Architektur und Design weltweit.
Die Auszeichnungen werden in acht Kategorien vergeben. Sie sind nicht mit einem Preisgeld dotiert, bringen jedoch Anerkennung und Möglichkeiten fürs Marketing.
Eine Besonderheit ist der Grande Pinnacle Award für das beste Projekt unter den Besten. Er wird von der Messe Marmomac gesponsort und bringt den Gewinnern eine Reise nach Verona. Wir stellen den Gewinner separat vor.
Neu bei den Pinnacle-Awards des Jahres 2025 wird sein, dass sie gleichzeitig auch für den Tucker-Design Award eingereicht werden können. Möglich ist, dass eine Einreichung beide Preise gewinnt.
Bewerbungen sind bis zum 20. Juni 2025 möglich. Die Teilnahmegebühr beträgt 125 US-Dollar für die erste Einreichung und 100 US-Dollar für jede weitere Einreichung.
Im Folgenden zeigen wir Fotos der preisgekrönten Projekte des Jahres 2024 und geben Auszüge aus den Beschreibungen wieder, die wir der NSI-Broschüre entnommen haben.
Category Architectural Carving/Lettering/Sculpture: Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) embarked on a transformative journey in 2015 to revitalize its Longwood Medical District campus, driven by escalating demand and complex cases. Central to this endeavor is the Hale Building, an 11-story vertical hospital expansion completed in 2018. Comprising 28,000 square feet, the outdoor spaces, including the Rooftop Healing Garden and Wishingstone Garden, foster hope, freedom, play, and contemplation. Additionally, an indoor sanctuary within the Hale Building serves as a healing garden for the most vulnerable patients.
Award Recipient: Coldspring, Cold Spring, Minnesota (Stone Fabricator/Supplier)
Architect: Shepley Bulfinch Richardson & Abbott
Stone Installer: Xquisite Landscaping
Stones: Charcoal Black® granite, Echo Lake® granite, Golden Brasil granite, Silver Cloud® granite
Category Architectural Carving/Lettering/Sculpture: The Saint Louis University High School Chapel of the Beloved Disciple renovation project stands as a testament to the harmonious blend of classical craftsmanship and modern technology. Rugo Stone’s scope of work included furnishing and installing a marble altar of sacrifice and a marble ambo with a stained wood bookrest. The altar as well as the ambo were adorned with cubic, 8-3/8″ thick Bianco Carrara marble mensa tops featuring classical moldings and delicate hand-carved egg and dart detailing. The altar and ambo were further enhanced with cubic carved marble columns and custom-designed, highly ornate Corinthian capitals that seamlessly matched the existing 100-year-old capitals.
Award Recipient: Rugo Stone LLC, Lorton, Virginia (Stone Consultant/Supplier/Fabricator/Installer)
Architect: Studio Totus
Stone Fabricator/Quarry: Tennessee Marble Company
Stones: Bianco Carrara marble, Champlain Black marble, Paonazzo marble, Arabescato Corchia marble
Category Commercial Exterior: Burley Temple, Idaho. A design-assist project, the Burley Temple reflects the high-quality and precision installation achievable through a collaborative team effort. Clad with 45,000 SF of lightly honed Bianco Sardo granite, the project’s facade features an ornate steeple and stepped cornices and window surrounds, with the curvature of the main window mirrored in the stone pilaster base. During design-assist collaboration meetings, the stone installer identified several details that could be altered to enhance aesthetics while at the same time improving the schedule, performance, and/or budget.
Award Recipient: Kepco+, Salt Lake City, Utah (Stone Installer)
Architect: Naylor Wentworth Lund Architects
Stone Supplier/Fabricator: Ghirardi Stone Contractors
Stone Consultant: Stone Trends International
General Contractor: Okland Construction
Stone: Bianco Sardo granite
Category Commercial Exterior: National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC. The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum embarked on a multi-year renovation in 2018 to address critical issues with the building’s original stone façade, which had developed extensive warping and cracking over the years. Known as hysteresis, this deterioration was exacerbated by the spray-applied urethane foam insulation on the back of the stone panels, posing a risk of stones falling from the building. The renovation project set forth several stringent performance criteria for the new exterior wall assemblies such as durability, air infiltration, water and thermal barrier, blast and wind load resistance, fire propagation limitations, and the longest service life.
Award Recipients: Rugo Stone LLC, Lorton, Virginia (Stone Consultant/Installer); PICCO Engineering, Concord, ON Canada (Stone Engineer); Coldspring, Cold Spring, Minnesota (Stone Supplier/Fabricator); Eclad, Bridgeview, Illinois (Façade System Manufacturer)
Architect: Quinn Evans Architects
Client: Smithsonian Institution
Façade System Designer: Façade Concepts, Inc.
Stone Supplier: Structural Stone LLC
Stone: Lac Du Bonnet® granite, Chelmsford Grey® granite, Mesabi Black® granite
Category Commercial Exterior: National Library of Israel, Jerusalem, Israel. The new National Library of Israel, which opened its doors to the public in October 2023, holds the world’s largest collection of Jewish heritage treasures, and is an essential stop for any Jerusalem visitor interested in culture and architecture. Designed by world renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron and local partner Mann-Shinar the distinctive 45,000-sqm landmark building juxtaposes the traditions of great libraries and modern architecture, while adhering to the Jerusalem municipal code requiring all buildings be faced with local stone.
Award Recipient: A. Grebelsky & Son, Jerusalem, Israel (Stone Supplier/Fabricator)
Architects: Herzog & de Meuron Basel Ltd; Mann-Shinar Architects
Stone: Jerusalem Gold limestone
Category Commercial Exterior: Rolex Boutique, Toronto, ON Canada. Located in Toronto’s prestigious shopping district, the Rolex Boutique epitomizes luxury and innovation. Featuring Burgundy White limestone and Absolute Black granite at its base, this project highlights superior natural stone design, fabrication, and installation. The boutique’s transformation showcases collaborative design and advanced technology integrated with traditional craftsmanship. The design aimed to create an architectural presence reflecting Rolex’s timeless elegance. The façade’s fluid curves around windows and doors contrast with the modernist high-rise above, harmonizing natural stone with steel. This blend echoes Rolex’s intricate craftsmanship and attention to detail.
Award Recipients: PICCO Engineering, Concord, ON Canada (Stone Engineer); Traditional Cut Stone, Mississauga, ON Canada (Stone Fabricator)
Architect: PARTISANS, Arturo Tedeschi
Stone Installer: Finbar Sheehan
Stone: Burgundy White limestone, Absolute Black granite
Category Commercial Exterior: Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, New York, New York. Since its founding in 1916, The Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine in New York City has been the anchor for a vibrant New York neighborhood. In the 1970’s the church building was overshadowed by the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers. Destroyed on September 11th, 2001, the rebuilt church reopened in 2022 as a Shrine for the Nation and a place for remembrance.
Award Recipient: AVRO Consult Engineering, New York, New York (Stone Engineer)
Architects: Koutsomitis Architects PC, Santiago Calatrava Architects & Engineers
Stone Supplier/Fabricator: Venus Marble Group SA
Stone Installer: MG McGrath, Architectural Glass & Glazing
Façade Consultant: Thornton Tomasetti
Stone: Pentelikon marble
Category Commercial Interior: Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility, Austin, Texas. The scope of work on the new twelve-story Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility includes the main lobby; grand stairs; level one and two public corridors and elevator lobbies; level three through twelve elevator lobbies with accompanying corridors; and 25 courtrooms on levels six through twelve. The corridors and elevator lobbies are all clad in honed silver travertine installed in a vein-matching pattern. This installation technique for the 200-foot-long corridors was difficult to execute with each piece requiring a specific location on the wall.
Award Recipient: Camarata Masonry Systems, Houston, Texas (Stone Installer)
Architect: Gensler Architects
Design Build Contractor: Hensel Phelps
Stone Suppliers/Fabricators: S.I.T.E.M.; Global Stone Services; Santucci Group SRL
Stone Consultant: ISCS Stone Consultants
Stones: Calacatta Tucci marble, Italian basalt, Lueders Gray limestone, Silver travertine
Category Kitchen/Bath: No Bad Days, Weems, Virginia. “No Bad Days” is no ordinary name for a home. The name was chosen because it embraces the client’s spirit of living in a positive moment. For this home nestled on a river, the design objective required that the eco-systemic exterior perspectives be mirrored in its interiors. The kitchen “must haves” were to incorporate the water with reflected and direct views, to imitate the river’s current and cultivated oyster beds, and to use their favorite colors of brown and blue.
Award Recipient: ROSANNAROBIN atelier, North Bergen, New Jersey (Design Firm/Stone Consultant)
Stone Supplier/Fabricator/Installer: Brazilian Best Granite
Stone: Shelf Cloud marble
Category Kitchen/Bath: Guntersville Kitchen Remodel, Guntersville, Alabama. The clients for this kitchen remodel project in Guntersville, Alabama worked with Ceramic Harmony 16 years ago on a custom bar countertop. When they were ready to renovate their kitchen, they requested the use of Ceramic Harmony to their design firm. A local custom cabinet design firm was also pulled into the planning stages. The client wanted to modernize the home’s Old-World look and for the kitchen to be separated from the living space, yet not too open. To satisfy this request, the team created a tunnel pass through space lined with Italian terracotta tile to direct traffic and break up the space.
Award Recipient: Ceramic Harmony, Huntsville, Alabama (Stone Consultant/Fabricator/Installer)
Designer: MM Interiors
Stone Supplier: Antolini Luigi & C.S.p.A.
Tile and Stone Installer: Kevin Stark
Stones: Calacatta Macchia Vecchia, Super Extra marble, Bronze Amani marble
Category Public Landscapes/Parks/Memorials: Crawford Memorial Park “Comunidad” Public Art Project, Dallas, Texas. Crawford Memorial Park is a long-established and beloved 250-plus acre public park. It provides peaceful settings within the quick-paced DFW Metroplex. With future developments planned, the east peninsula was selected as the next area to be addressed. Sited within an oak grove, this project was envisioned as a community gathering space. Prominent artist Brad J. Goldberg was commissioned for a design to facilitate events like weddings, reunions, and quinceañeras, while also serving daily use needs.
Award Recipient: Dee Brown, Inc., Richardson, Texas (Stone Installer)
Artist: Brad J. Goldberg
Stone Supplier/Fabricator: Coldspring
Stone: Kenoran Sage granite, Golden Brasil granite, Mesabi Black® granite
Category Public Landscapes/Parks/Memorials: Reston Town Center Fountain Plaza Renovation, Reston, Virginia. The Mercury Fountain has been the heart of Reston Town Center since the early 1990s. The fountain was carved from Carrara marble and topped with a bronze statue of Mercury. Thirty years of weather resulted in severe deterioration of the marble. A 2023 renovation of the fountain plaza included replacement of the deteriorated fountain bowl and pedestal, as well as a redesign of the lower fountain base. The new contemporary design incorporates tiered splash ledges, and a patterned feature wall fabricated from Jet Mist granite, as well a perimeter walls fabricated from Bethel White granite.
Award Recipient: Lorton Stone LLC, Springfield, Virginia (Stone Installer)
Designer: Sasaki Associates, Inc.
General Contractor: James G. Davis Construction Corporation
Stone Supplier/Fabricator: Structural Stone LLC
Stone Quarries: Polycor, Granites of America
Category Renovation/Restauration: Saint Agnes Catholic Church, Arlington, Virginia. In 2021, Rugo Stone embarked on an ambitious renovation project for Saint Agnes Catholic Church, culminating in its August 2023 completion. The project scope included: restoration and repurposing of the altar of sacrifice; furnishing and installing a new mensa, intricate carvings, and inlays for the altar of sacrifice; design and installation of a new rear altar, tabernacle, baptismal font, and ambo; creation of three new side shrines with Calacatta Van Gogh marble back walls; the addition of two angel holy water font statues made of Carrara marble; and furnishing and installation of new marble flooring in the sanctuary.
Award Winner: Rugo Stone LLC, Lorton, Virginia (Stone Consultant/Supplier/Fabricator/Installer)
Architect: PAE Architecture
Stones: Botticino Classico marble, Rosso Verona Magnaboschi marble, Bianco Carrara marble, Calacatta Van Gogh marble, Red Jasper marble, Giallo Siena marble
Category Renovation/Restauration: Saint Jude Catholic Church, Peoria, Illinois. The Saint Jude Catholic Church project in Peoria, Illinois is a prestigious endeavor that began in July 2022 and completed in November 2023. Rugo Stone’s scope of work in this new church included the supply and installation of several key elements. The entire project was fabricated in-house by Rugo Stone. The sanctuary floor is a striking checkerboard pattern composed of five different colored marble pavers. The altar is a masterpiece featuring cubic marble columns and finely carved capitals. It is adorned with ornate moldings and embellished with 24 karat gold mosaic inlay featuring the Lamb of God.
Award Recipient: Rugo Stone LLC, Lorton, Virginia (Stone Consultant/Supplier/Fabricator/Installer)
Architect: McCrery Architects
Stones: Rouge Griotte marble, Verde Issorie marble, Fior di Pesco Light marble, Grigio Carnico marble, Bianco Carrara marble
Category Residential – Single Family: Private Residence-Bachelor Gulch, Bachelor Gulch, Colorado. This unique, ultra-custom home incorporated some challenging uses of natural stone. Selecting the stone to be used for the exterior and interior stone veneers utilized several mockups before selecting a granite veneer from Manitoba, Canada. The stone selected was shaped in such a way that no surface on each stone was flat and had to either be chopped on a stone splitter or chiseled by hand. The exterior and interior stone veneers were installed with a dry stack appearance joint and fit together with great precision. After installation was completed, the owner decided to change the interior stone veneer into a veneer with grout joints.
Award Recipient: The Gallegos Corporation, Wolcott, Colorado (Stone Fabricator/Installer)
Architect: Ruard Veltman Architecture + Interiors
Stone Suppliers: Gavin Historical Bricks; Select Stone; Walker Zanger
Stone Quarry: Chabot – Selkirk Quarry
Stones: Gascogne Beige limestone, Reclaimed granite cobbles; Selkirk granite
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