Collaborations
Fondazione Albini is a place where design thinking endures. Here, Marimar fosters a dialogue on the relationship between natural stone and design culture, exploring how material contributes to the language of architecture. It is a chance to reflect on what it means to design today, balancing material knowledge, aesthetic sensitivity and resource awareness.
The collaboration between Marimar and Fondazione Albini stems from the desire to deepen the connection between material and project, reframing the Maestro’s practice in a contemporary key. The research examines three directions: local sourcing, intended use and design in the service of functionality, as tools to understand the cultural and technical value of natural stone. It shows how material knowledge and design sensitivity remain inseparable, and is explored in full in the article Marimar × Fondazione Albini.
Every project balances ideas and resources, creativity and technical knowledge. In this balance, natural stone becomes a design instrument, not a mere cladding. Working with material means knowing its origin, interpreting its properties and translating them into solutions that unite function and beauty. This continuity between design thinking and material culture creates a shared language among architects, fabricators and suppliers.
In natural stone, sourcing shapes the entire industry. The ability to identify, assess and select raw materials determines both project quality and the evolution of supply. Through this activity, new stone types enter the market in response to aesthetic and functional needs. Conducted on a global scale, importing does not necessarily imply high environmental impact: international transport contributes only a limited share, making the global natural‑stone supply chain efficient when compared with energy‑intensive synthetic surfaces.
If sourcing is the research phase, knowing the properties and processing methods of materials enables responsible application. It means respecting stone as a precious and finite resource, and the client who invests in it, ensuring quality, durability and aesthetic consistency. Choosing the right material for the context, ensuring coherence between function and language. In this logic, design does not overlay material but arises from understanding its physical properties and the ability to enhance performance. Today, design is the tool that combines production factors efficiently, maximising economic, aesthetic and functional outcomes.
The encounter at Fondazione Albini embodies continuity between research and practice. The thought of Franco Albini, grounded in rigour, knowledge and respect for material, finds new forms in the work of those who engage with natural stone. Marimar sees design as a process of awareness and responsibility, where material generates cultural and technical value. As for Albini, stone remains a means to build architecture that stands the test of time, uniting competence, measure and sensitivity.
