The German Historical Museum in Berlin has won first prize in the “Marble Architectural Award 2006” (MAA). The result of the competition was announced in the Architecture Centre (DAZ) in Berlin at the end of March. The architectural award organized by the International Marmi e Macchine (IMM) of Carrara and the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade (ICE) is presented annually in different geographical regions. Entries for this year’s award were restricted to architects with projects implemented in Europe.
The works entered from 32 countries were divided into three categories. The first prize in the category “building enclosure”was presented ex aequo to two architects who have influenced the scene for a long time: Ieoh Ming Pei (New York) with Eller + Eller GmbH (D??sseldorf) for the construction of the hall of the German Historical Museum Berlin and Sir Norman Foster for the hall of the British Museum in London. With his work on the hall of the Historical Museum in 2003, I.M. Pei, the Chinese-American architect and former student of Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer, has again proved his high degree of sensitivity in handling historic buildings and contemporary design.
The jury emphasized the successful dialogue between the materials used: limestone (Magny), granite (Mason) and exposed concrete. The star British architect Sir Norman Foster created one of the largest covered spaces in Europe with his steel and glass design for the Great Court of the British Museum in 2000. The use of limestone in combination with the undulating glass dome gives the building lightness. The jury paid special tribute to the arrangement of limestone and incident light.
The first project of China(Xiamen) stone industrial estate which lies in Hongtang,Tong?? an,Xiamen is in the progress. The target of this industrial estate is to be the biggest stone zone of china in the future.
The industrial estate is programmed to hold 3 square KM, about 4500 acres. It takes the focus of many company, until now many companies from Germany, France, Italy, Taiwan, Hong Kong and so on have entered so that the whole industrial estate is filled with the factures. It is planned that the factures can be put into the industrial estate in the first half year of 2003 and output their products in the second half year.
The industrial estate is divided into 4 parts: market, manufacturing zone, centre control zone and foreign flat. Manufacture zone holds 600 million square metres and is made up of stone- machining factures and stone-making machines factures with the service offices. To fit the plan of making the biggest stone industrial estate, the market is designed to be a close free-duty packing yard so the applying to customs and declaring dutiable goods can be
finished in the industrial estate.
The centre control zone will build bank, revenue, custom, inspection, police office with the hotel, supermarket. There will be foreign flats, hospital, school and parks in the industrial estate.
The plans of future buildings in the industrial estate. With the demand of high start, high level, international and high aptitude, the industrial estate will be arranged to be the trading base of stone import and export.
According to market sources industry analysts expect the phenomenal growth in natural stone industry to continue, Fuelled by a revival in the demand for natural stone in the last decade or so, the industry has seen sharp rises in output production. For the first time in its history, natural stone is everywhere - from public buildings, public works like roads and parks to airports and hotels, offices and private homes. This is partly due to increased demand for commercial space and architectural cost efficiency afforded by natural stone today, but also in great measure due to high quality, value added products on offer aided by successful awareness campaigns by the industry.
This high demand is reflected in the increased levels of output production, enhanced using sophisticated quarrying techniques. Advanced fabrication and finishing tools have done their bit to provide high quality products and imports from the world over increase revenues for most operators within the industry.
Today??s stone industry is a far cry from the limited one in existence as recently as 25 years ago. Nowadays, stone from Africa, The Middle East, India, China and The Far East competes actively with North American and European stone. Local producers compete with lower-priced stones from countries like China and India, with their reduced labor costs.
While this augurs well for consumers, pushing stone prices down across the board, it has caused concern among some stone companies, who foresee drastic reductions in their margins, making it inefficient for them to operate their businesses. Most insiders, however, see increased competition as an opportunity to provide better service to their customers, and expand their services across a broader section of community, and indeed the world. While it is true that increased competition reduces margins, the resulting higher turnover actually increases revenues, allowing the bottom line to remain healthy.
Additionally, increased competition generates a innovation. Competition is here to stay. It is a fact of our lives. It drives us to invent better, more cost effective methods to counter competition from imports; to discover newer methods, and to combine them with existing ones. Free global trade can benefit the industry.
For example, there is tremendous market potential in Eastern Europe, in countries like Poland, Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia, where local resources do not meet high demand. European and American markets can compete effectively here due their high-end products and impeccable standards of value-added service. But Europe??s demand for stone is in fact higher than its supply, and its increase in production over the last few years does not match world levels. This clears the way somewhat for dealers in America to target markets in East Europe and other high-end niche markets in the rest of the world. But the EU is looking at boosting production, while it continues to promote natural stone and develop new standards of testing. It will catch up, sooner or later.
Here in America, the ASTM is actively engaged in providing newer definitions and establishing tests for all types of stone available, including imports. Efforts are underway to establish International testing norms for quality and facilitate end-use. Within the industry, awareness campaigns and new marketing strategies are on the drawing board to compete effectively globally.
Additionally technology discovers newer methods of adapting natural stone to more innovative applications. The evolution of natural stone from its ancient rock beds and quarries is closely entwined with humankind??s zest for innovation - embedded in the history of technology. From granite blocks in the 5000-year-old pyramids to industrial vats storing acids and crushed granite in road construction, natural stone has come a long way.
Technology, environmental awareness, competitive pricing, growing, high-end markets overseas and above all the beauty and inherent properties of natural stone all bode well for growth of the stone industry. Industry analysts are optimistic about the future ?C the growth potential is enormous in the next 10- 15 years or so.
World Stone Focus on China, China Stone Focus on Fujian, Fujian Stone Focus on Xiamen
Stone exporting is the traditional and most important industry in Xiamen, occupying an important position in the Xiamen foreign trade export for a long time. Stone producing and exporting in the south of Fujian Province is centuries-old and well-known at home and abroad, rated as one of the main stone produce and export bases in China and even in the world. So far, there are more than 500 professional stone imports & exports enterprises in Xiamen and 4000 stone processing enterprises in its neighboring areas, specializing in producing and exporting all kinds of granite, marble, slab, tiles, special-shaped stone, slate, stone-carved crafts, tomb stones, garden stones, strange stone and artificial stone products. Xiamen has already been the biggest stone trade base in China. According to statistics, one third containers exporting from Xiamen port are stone! In 2005, the volume of import and export of stone through the port of Xiamen was USD 1,720 million. This accounts for 60% of the total volume of stone trade in China. The export volume of natural stone reached almost 4.44 million tons, amounted to 1.25 billion. The import volume went up to 2.56 million tons with the amount of 470 million.
Xiamen Stone industry is developing into an international stone trade center not only depends on local resource. Taking advantage of its own comprehensive resource and integrating with the production suppliers of neighboring area, Xiamen stone industry forms a whole supply chain combination. This combination has already begun to offer Chinese stone even the Italian, Brazilian, Indian, Norwegian stone to the markets of Japan, Europe and U.S.A., etc., Xiamen grows up as a large sales field of international stone gradually. In Xiamen, overseas traders can buy the high-quality stone products of any variety of the world. With the support of the government and the coordination of the industry, Xiamen international Stone trade center will be more effective and practical.
(from internet!)
Landscaping