Rugo Stone Offers Carrara Marble “Best”

OBERLIN, Ohio & CHESTERTOWN, N.Y. – Rugo Stone LLC is the inaugural pick for the “Best Use of Carrara Marble in North America” Marble Architecture Award from MIA+BSI.

Click photo for galleryLorton, Va.-based Rugo won for its work during the renovation of the famed, Thomas Jefferson-designed Rotunda building at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va.

Rugo will receive the honor duringthe 33rd CarraraMarmotec International Fair of Marble, Technologies, and Design in Carrara, Italy, on May 18-21.

“The Rotunda Renovation” project replaced the 16 marble capitals at the Academic Village Rotunda, a UNESCO World Heritage Site designed by the founding father and U.S. president.

An 1895 fire destroyed the original capitals carved by the Ricci family of Carrara, which were then replaced with columns from an alternate source. In 2013, with the replacement columns crumbling, the university contracted Rugo Stone to restore the capitals.

Lacking a complete capital, detailed photographs, or original drawings, Rugo Stone and its stone carver, Mario Pedrini srl of Carrara, used cutting-edge techniques to recreate the original capitals using the remaining stone fragments.

To preserve the Rotunda’s integrity and proximal historical structures, Rugo Stone designed an innovative lateral conveyance system that allowed for installation of the heavy and fragile capitals to be completed with four to five men. The capitals were placed over the course of a few weeks, and without incident.

This new award was created to honor a project whose beauty, creativity, ingenuity, and craftsmanship exemplify professional mastery in the use of Carrara marble in a commercial or residential application in North America. With generous support from the Internazionale Marmi E Macchine Carrara SpA (IMM Carrara), the award winner will receive round-trip economy airfare and complimentary lodging for four nights to attend the fair.

“While all the projects submitted were impressive, the Rotunda Renovation prevailed due to the passionate story behind the monument,” said Marco Ragone of IMM Carrara. “There was a special meaning of historical heritage where classicism and modernity were so well mixed and integrated.”

Past MIA President Guido Gliori agreed.

“In an age where cost savings is king, this renovation’s quality, innovation, and technical problem solving is a winner for our history and the use of natural stone,” he said.

For more information on the Best Use of Carrara Marble in North America Award, please visit www.naturalstoneinstitute.org/carrara.

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