Aesthetics become art, functionality becomes the detail that makes the difference. Antoniolupi continues to explore the boundary between design and sculpture with Carsico, the new freestanding marble washbasin designed by Paolo Ulian. The Tuscan company carries forward its vocation for experimenting with materials through innovative processes and a vision that combines craftsmanship and formal research – giving shape to iconic basins such as Controverso, Introverso, and Intreccio. Carsico fits perfectly into this evolutionary line, proposing a radical approach to working natural stone.
Carsico is a unique piece, hand-carved by master artisans; each creation is one of a kind and unmatched. The washbasin is born from a block of marble and enhances its material qualities – the veining, irregularities, and chromatic depth. The material is not a simple support but the very soul of the piece and the absolute protagonist of the project, a living presence that interacts with space.
The concept stems from an idea that is both technical and poetic: Ulian chooses to bring to light the core-drilled holes – functional elements that usually remain hidden inside the body of marble basins. Here, they become a distinctive feature, a language. Through a process of material subtraction, the holes emerge along the surface, creating a texture of irregular solids and voids – a kind of carved architecture that recalls the natural cavities shaped by water in karst rocks, as the name itself suggests.
As Paolo Ulian states: “The core-drilled holes, beyond their necessary function of reducing weight, also acquire a valuable aesthetic quality, revealing their decorative potential and transforming into a complex stone architecture characterized by irregular solids and voids and by light-and-shadow effects that enhance its essence.”
The result is an object that transcends function, appearing as a sculpted volume, thanks above all to plays of light and shadow that enhance its three-dimensionality. Carsico, available in two sizes and customizable, appears both solid and light at the same time – massive yet permeable – capable of transforming an everyday gesture into an aesthetic experience. Perfect for interior design projects, luxury hotels, and contemporary bathroom spaces, this new piece confirms Antoniolupi’s direction: a design that is unafraid of experimentation, rooted in Italian artisanal tradition, and continually redefining the boundary between functional object and sculptural work.
