Stone-Ideas.com 
“Martian Veil“ was the title Fantini Mosaici gave the launch of its new terrazzo. It is a reddish material with the typical graininess of terrazzo, made from the natural stone varieties Rosso Verona, Rosso Francia, Verde Ming, and Giallo Siena. It was first presented to the public during Milan Design Week 2025.
What was special, however, was not the name’s reference to the Red Planet, nor the beautiful wave shape the Portuguese architects from AB+AC placed gave the installation – it was the scent that this terrazzo carried. It is described in the press materials as a blend of “eucalyptus, incense, and wood.“
And the scent is authentic – we tried it out in the company’s showroom (Foro Buonaparte 68 in Milan, not far from Cadorna train station): It is a pleasant scent that you would not even notice when you enter the showroom if you had no prior knowledge.
But you perceive it sublimely, as something that literally floats in the air.
Of course, the fragrance fades after a while, we were told. But it can easily be renewed.
The Italian company Fantini Mosaici has been in existence for 125 years and is world-renowned for its mosaics and inlay work in precious stone or terrazzo. Famous examples are the floor mosaic in Milan’s Galeria Vittorio Emanuele from 1923 and the marble inlays in the Sheik Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi in 2007.
In this respect, this creation by Fantini is truly a sensation: for the first time, smell is added to the usual senses for perceiving a stone material, until now mainly sight and touch.
Importantly, this occurred within the context of product design: the goal of the innovation was to create objects for (luxurious) everyday use. The showroom showcased a 4×4.6 m wall draped as if with a heavy cloth. Terrazzo modules with thicknesses between 2.5 and 12.5 cm were used for this purpose.
Incidentally, hearing as a sensory experience of stone has occasionally been staged with sound collages from quarries. We recently reported on such a work of art at the “Vinschgau Kristallin” sculpture symposium (see also).
Fotos: Nicola Gnesi
Renderings: Daniil Arseev
