Material Set In Stone.

material
set in stone.
From iconic fashion to a decadent hotel and a scholarly
landmark, tile and stone put scale and function to the
test while keeping a thoughtful eye on the past.
written and produced by
C ar a g i b b s
Material
set in stone
golden
rule
a rt f u l ly c o l l i d i n g i n t h e fo r m o f a f i e r c e s t r u t d ow n a n
i ta l i a n r u n way, ba r o q u e-st y l e fas h i o n a n d b e j e w e l e d g l as s
s e rv e as t h e m u s e fo r i co n i c fas h i o n h o u s e d o lc e & g a b ba n a ,
c l e v e r ly r e v e a l e d t h r o u g h i ts ta i lo r e d m os a i c co l l ect i o n.
d o l c e & g a b b a n a r u n w ay p h o t o : v i c t o r v i r g i l e .
[mosaic couture]
Turning to Sicily’s famed Monreale Cathedral for creative ingenuity, designers Domenico
Dolce and Stefano Gabbana found the art of mosaics to have much in common with
the craftsmanship of haute couture. Their recent Tailored Mosaic collection exhibits the
parallels of precision between the two, where mosaics are achieved by the deliberate
placement of a single piece of glass or tile followed by another in succession—mirroring
the tailored dexterity made by placing single stitch after stitch. As Dolce & Gabbana
found themselves enamored by Venetian and Byzantine mosaics, the latest in tile seems
to have followed suit, imbuing a similar bravado through the collections shown above.
Clockwise from top left: Scalea in Blue Pearl, starting at $42 per square foot; cosentino-group.net. Allure Rug Calacatta with Bronze and Silver
Mirrored Accents, $143 per square foot; akdo.com. Conccetto in Amethyst, starting at $300 per square foot; caesarstoneus.com. Zephyr in Calacatta
and Ash Gray, Tangent Collection, $116 per square foot; walkerzanger.com. Mother of Pearl, price available upon request; parisceramics.com.
Andromeda1 in Julius Glaze, price available upon request; kismettile.com. Biznaga, NeoColibrì Collection, price available upon request; sicis.com.
M ATERIAL
Material
set in stone
set in stone
clean
break
b at h p h o t o : c o u r t e s y l a m a m o u n i a .
Exq u i s i t e ly c l a d w i t h s h a p e ly ma r b l e co lum ns, mosa i c
[water mark]
It’s fairly easy to slip into a sort of quasi-reality when indulging in a sojourn at
Morocco’s illustrious La Mamounia, whose recent refurbishment by interiors giant
Jacques Garcia has declared little left to desire. Eliciting a Moorish-style opulence set
against regal grounds and playful conveniences, perhaps the most stunning feature
of this Middle Eastern playground is the multifaceted hammam adjoining the spa.
Composed of ornate marble archways supported by imposing mosaic-adorned pillars
and surrounded by hand-cut-tiled walls, this Turkish bath is a study in luxury material
at its best, further exemplified in the latest offerings (shown above) of tile and stone.
Clockwise from top left: Palio Corteo 2 in Turquoise, price available upon request; tabarkastudio.com. Loom Jewel
Glass Mosaic, price available upon request; newravenna.com. Gramercy in Emerald, Manhattan Collection, price
available upon request; imaginetile.com. Handpainted Tile Collection, starting at $25 per square foot; fireclaytile.com.
Cathedral in Silver Cloud Blend, Devotion Collection, $110 per square foot; glasstile.com. Watermark Series in Indigo, price
available upon request; cletile.com. Moire in Beige, Claypaper Collection, price available upon request; waterworks.com.
e m b e l l i s h m e n ts a n d t i l e a p p l i q u és , m a r r a k ec h l e n ds
a l es s o n i n t h e a rt o f ca lc u l at e d g r a n d eu r co u rt esy
o f a fam e d h ot e l r e i n v e n t e d by a l eg e n da ry d es i g n e r .
Material
Well
set in stone
read
b u i lt o n t h e h e e l s o f a n u P - a n d - co m i n g m e t r o P o l i s i n 1 9 1 1 , t h e
n e w yo r K P u b l i c l i b r a ry h a s s t o o d t h e t e s t o f t i m e i n l a r g e
Pa rt t o t h e m ag n i f i c e n t q ua l i t y o f m at e r i a l a n d c r a ft s m a n s h i P
e m P loy e d w h e n fa b r i cat i n g t h e s e s t e a d fa s t ( a n d s t o r i e d ) wa l l s .
new yorK public library photo: don pollard.
[hard cover]
Born from the combined trusts of three tony, turn-of-the-century estates—John Jacob
Astor, James Lenox and Samuel J. Tilden—The New York Public Library took shape as
one of the most philanthropic private contributions aimed to better the public. Under the
helm of librarian director Dr. John Shaw Billings, the first library blueprints (sketched on a
paper bag) revealed stacks soaring seven floors high, an expansive mosaic-clad reading room
and, of course, watchful stone lions standing guard throughout. Architectural firm Carrère
and Hastings designed and built the landmark building, heralded as the largest marble
structure ever attempted in America and regarded as the apogee of Beaux Arts design.
Clockwise from top center: European Ledge in Cottonwood, price available upon request; eldoradostone.com. Aphrodites Honed
Waterjet Marble Mosaics, Odyssey Collection, price available upon request; countryfloors.com. Lace in Black and White, starting
$28 per square foot; sabinehill.com. Corteccia, price available upon request; antoliniusa.com. Atom in Graphite, $15.85 per square
foot; nemotile.com. Filigree Series, $51 per square foot; prattandlarson.com. Portoro, price available upon request; compac.us. Fan
Bianco Carrara, price available upon request; artistictile.com. Grey Tones Collection, price available upon request; dolceglasstile.com.