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Venice, capital of natural stone
Venice, a city suspended on water, cradle of art and history, hosted an unprecedented dialogue between its millennial soul and the future of construction.
Within the walls of IUAV University, the first International Forum on Authentic Natural Stone came to life, promoted by PNA (Authentic Natural Stone Business Network), of which Ghirardi has been a member since its inception: a visionary event, where the millennial past of stone met the future of design, sustainability, and contemporary architecture.
Stefano Ghirardi, president of the PNA network and CEO of Marmi Ghirardi, actively participated in the two days in Venice, bringing with him the experience, vision, and passion that have always animated the work of Marmi Ghirardi. From the courtyard of the IUAV University of Venice, the historic and symbolic home of Italian architecture, he leads us to reflect on the value of dialogue, the importance of listening among professionals in the sector, and the new paths that are opening up for authentic stone: not just a building material, but a narrative language and vision for the architecture of the future.
Landmark natural stone projects take centre stage at the PNA International Forum in Venice
On 12 and 13 June, the IUAV University of Venice hosted the inaugural International Forum on Authentic Natural Stone, a two-day event dedicated to inspiration, exchange and vision, promoted by the PNA network of companies — of which Marmi Ghirardi has been a founding member.
Natural stone was the undisputed protagonist of this multidisciplinary gathering, which brought together twelve prominent speakers to share ideas and perspectives on this unique, time-honoured material. The sessions ranged from quarry management to digital modelling, from craftsmanship to land art, and from design furnishings to Life Cycle Assessment. Naturally, architecture played a central role, enriched by the presence of renowned international figures such as Peter Eisenman and the Japanese practice Kengo Kuma and Associates.
Peter Eisenman delivered a compelling keynote address focusing on his monumental project, the Cidade da Cultura de Galicia in Santiago de Compostela, inaugurated in 2011. Spanning 265,000 square metres and comprising six buildings — some reaching heights of 42.5 metres — it marked the first time the acclaimed architect had made extensive use of natural stone. Galician granite was selected to anchor the complex in local building traditions, while light quartzite was used to clad key structures such as the Library and Archive, ensuring material continuity with the surrounding landscape. Flooring throughout the complex features white marble inlaid with reddish travertine, complemented by the use of sandstone.
Stone in this project plays a symbolic role: the undulating stone surface blends seamlessly into the rolling terrain of Monte Gaiás. Echoing the pilgrimage routes and ley lines of the Camino de Santiago, Eisenman inscribed the rooftops with a grid of grooves filled with rough-cut stone slabs (50 x 50 cm, 5–8 cm thick), laid directly onto steel beams and bolted into place. Rainwater is collected through the joints and channelled to a reinforced concrete roof below. Beyond its expressive qualities, the stone offers durability and thermal mass, while the use of local materials supports environmental sustainability.
The following presentation was delivered via video message by architect Kengo Kuma and his long-time collaborator Suguru Watanabe, a senior associate at Kengo Kuma and Associates. Together, they introduced the Kadokawa Culture Museum in Tokorozawa, Japan — completed in 2020 — a project equally shaped by the geology of its site. Located on the Musashino Plateau, formed by the collision of four tectonic plates, the building responds directly to the natural forces embedded in the land.
Kuma conceived the museum as a 31-metre-high monolith spanning 12,000 square metres, as though carved by tectonic movement. With no visible windows or external expression of its internal levels, the structure presents as a solid volume clad entirely in “Black Fantasy” magmatic granite, a dark stone with white veining quarried in China. Around 20,000 rough-hewn panels, approximately 7 cm thick, were arranged in a deliberately irregular pattern to echo the natural geometry of the stone and building. These were mounted on a reinforced concrete and steel substructure, pre-assembled into 61 triangular sections to create dynamic visual and tonal variation.
In contrast, the interior of the museum evokes a sense of being within a cavern: dark, immersive and introspective. The granite is complemented by traditional washi paper, plywood, stainless steel mesh, cypress wood shelving, and fibreglass screens, reflecting the studio’s signature sensitivity to material interplay.
The Kadokawa Culture Museum embodies what Kuma describes as “crust architecture” — a form that appears to have emerged naturally from the earth. As Watanabe revealed in the video, this is one of Kuma’s most personally significant projects, as it allowed the studio to explore stone in both emotive and structural dimensions: “an opportunity to go deeper into the essence of material and form.”
Together, these two extraordinary architectural journeys highlight the expressive power, versatility, durability and sustainability of authentic natural stone — principles that have guided Marmi Ghirardi since its foundation in 1938, inspired by a passion that remains undiminished to this day.
In what may now be considered the era of post-sustainability — where environmental responsibility is no longer optional but assumed — natural stone reasserts its role not only as a sustainable material, but as a medium of meaning, memory and identity. The projects shared at the Forum — distinct in language yet united in clarity — confirm that stone is not merely a relic of the past, but a material of the future. A living element, capable of engaging with nature, culture and time — and one that continues to shape the vision of Marmi Ghirardi.
From the Aula Magna Tolentini, Stefano Ghirardi officially closes these two days of the PNA Forum, rich in content and relationships. His words provide an authentic assessment of the experience and open our eyes to what is to come: a shared journey, where stone continues to be a driving force for dialogue, culture, and innovation.
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