Margraf, a leading company in the production and working of marble, has announced some pieces that will be at the heart of its stand at Marmomac in Verona (September 24-27): three object-sculptures designed by Raffaello Galiotto – also the author of the exhibition design – that will enrich the Frammenti collection presented in April during Milano Design Week 2024. They are pieces that combine the fascination of stone, a material that has been shaping itself for millennia, with the potential of 3D modeling and robotic milling, combined with manual processing. A synthesis between tradition and research.
“These processes and technologies have allowed the company to be unique,” explains Roberto Xompero, CEO of Margraf. “We are recognized worldwide for what we do. The workshop is what really makes us a reality that is hard to find in the natural stone scene. What we really offer the customer is a 360-degree completeness at the service level. From the choice of the block, to the selection of the slab, to the realization of the worked stone, finished in an almost ‘artisan’ way. To have a range of more than four hundred products, to be able to process them quickly and to offer everything with real attention to detail is something rare. On the aesthetic level, we can say that we have products that always meet the needs and requirements of the customer, who can rely on Margraf for a complete and quality service.”
This approach has given rise in recent years to products (the Ipogeo and Fluctus collections, wall coverings with a pronounced three-dimensionality) and collaborations (Galiotto, already mentioned, then Cristina Celestino, Jean-Michel Wilmotte) that explore the new potential of stone in interior design and architecture. For the company, the front of the collaboration is also “upstream” of the finished product, for example with those who manufacture the machines with which the stone is worked.
“We have always tried to create a solid network with our suppliers so that we can base each operation on a relationship of mutual trust,” continues Xompero. “What helps our company to stand out in terms of technology and new ideas, certainly gives those who work with us a competitive edge in their target market.
In fact, it is thanks to this network that in the last year we have made investments in machinery and in the production area that have allowed us to triple our production speed while maintaining a very high quality standard. Aware that flexibility must be the fundamental driving force that guides us today.”
Margraf’s history began in 1906 and has been marked by many important projects: from the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan to the Santa Lucia train station in Venice and, more recently, the Fontainebleau Casino Resort in Las Vegas (where 12,000 square meters of natural stone were used). Margraf also owns several quarries, including one in Forni Avoltri (in the Dolomites), the only one in the world that produces Carnico Fior di Pesco marble.
The operational heart of the company (in Chiampo, in the province of Vicenza) is flanked by an area in Gambellara, a few kilometers away, where the processed slabs are stored and displayed. A facility that is currently undergoing a major rethink: “At the moment we can’t say too much, but let’s just say that for Margraf it will be another turning point in its more than 100-year history. Our intention is to make the Margraf area a reference not only for the world of natural stone, but for all those who work in the fields of art, design and architecture,” Xompero anticipates.
“The space will really become something that has never been seen before and will also be rejuvenated in terms of facilities and concept to become a meeting point for local young people. In terms of timing, we can say that a first part will be built for Marmomac 2024, a second part instead by the end of the year. All this in order to organize a grand opening by the summer of 2025.”
