StoneInfo.Com, Information Center on the Natural Stone Industry

Some would say that MAPEI Corp., the leading manufacturer of flooring installation systems, and David Allen Co., a leading tile, stone and terrazzo contractor for over 80 years, helped create Southpoint Mall into an ‘unusual’ mall. In fact, what meets the eye is more than just the clothing stores and food stops normally found at local malls. More precisely, RTKL Architects from Dallas, Texas, designed the mall (which also extends into an exterior walkway) to simulate a ‘Euro village’ by creating different facades for each store front. French and Portuguese limestone and German greenstone were chosen for the interior floor extending 145,000 square feet. Above, black chimney tops and brick-faced store fronts enclose the mall, creating the feeling of a stroll through the narrow streets of 18th century England. Continuing through the outside, walkways lead visitors to restaurants and other stores that parallel numerous fountains and plazas.

Project	queen Victoria Office Building
Location	Auckland - New Zealand
Architect	Stephenson & Turner
General Contractor	undisclosed
Completed	1998

A combination of three colors was used for this elegant building. Rama Green polished in panels of 78" x 24" x 1 1/4" (200x60x3cm) for interior cladding & flooring, and panels of 39" x 17" (100x43cm) honeycomb backed for elevators.
Crystall white polished 20" x 10" (50x25cm) panels were installed as exterior cladding in the entrance, and Green Onyx from Iran, polished on both sides in 31" x 16" (80x40cm) was also used as accent.

Project	Radisson SAS Hotel
Location	Helsinki - Finland
Architect	MIA Bungers
General Contractor	undisclosed
Completed	1999

Two different stones in three different colors were used for this project: marble Arabescato Cervaiole and Bianco Gioia Venato, and black slate. Bianco Gioia Venato polished, was used for the production of more than 270 vanity tops and other fixtures for the bathroom, ranging in sizes from 31" x 24"(80x62cm) to 80" x 24"(205x62cm), with a thickness of 1 1/4" (3cm)).
About 1100 sqft (100m2) Arabescato Cervaiole panels were made in sizes from 31" x 15"(79x38cm to 120x42cm) in 3/4" thickness, and used for interior cladding. In addition, approximately 1800 sqft 165m2) were also supplied in 1 1/4" and 2.5" thicknesses, for frames around elevators.
Close to 8,000 sqft (700m2) in a variation of 3/4" two-face split black slate, one-face split with 1 side honed was used for the flooring.

Project	Condominiums & Hotel
Location	Brisbane - Australia
Architect	Spatium S.R.L., Milan - Italy
General Contractor	undisclosed
Completed	2001

Over 90,000 sqft (approx. 9,000 m2) of polished marble were supplied by A.BERNACCA to be installed in this prestigious residential and commercial project. The various colors were used in very complex cut-to-size designs to add to the already established feel of extreme luxury. Cremo Delicato, the predominant color with over 70,000 sqft (approx. 7,000 m2), was complemented by Giallo Siena, Bardiglio Imperiale, & Verde Guatemala.

Project	Private Residence
Location	Phoenix - Arizona, USA
Architect	not disclosed
General Contractor	not disclosed
Completed	2000

In a typical Arizona setting where often backyard pool areas can be as large as houses, this private residence is no exception. To complement the overall feel of luxury with old and tradition, the owners of this beautiful new home selected Durango Ancient Viejo Travertine™ for their unusual backyard design, which contains three swimming pools on two separate levels. 3,000 sqft (approx. 280 m2) of the Durango Ancient stone produced by WORLD WIDE STONE CORPORATION were used in three different sizes and installed in a semi-random pattern called "San Larenzo", covering the various areas of the pool & backyard areas, including a waterfall, a bench, decking to the waterline and even a bridge. Because the Durango Ancient stone is tumbled, it has the advantage of not being slippery when wet. This stone surface also remains cooler than cement when hit by the strong Arizona sun. The timeless beauty and funtionality of this stone make it perfect for outdoor as well as indoor use.

Project	West Ridge Office Building
Location	San Diego - California, USA
Architect	Vasquez + Marshall & Associates
General Contractor	Ninteman Construction
Completed	1999

Located in the heart of a San Diego high end corporate development, the West Ridge four-story office building looks very majestic with its 11,000 sqft (approx. 1000 M2) of Durango Rojo Imperial™ red Mexican travertine, accented by Valverda, a bluish/gray very dense limestone from Portugal. Both stones were supplied by SAN DIEGO BRICK & TILE, a local distributor who provided a large mock-up to the architects during the stone selection, to help them understand the color variation of the Mexican travertine, and its visual effect on the structure. The travertine was custom made in mainly 20" x 36 " (approx. 51cm x 91 cm) by WORLD WIDE STONE CORPORATION's production facility in Mexico. WORLD WIDE STONE's headquarters, marketing office & distribution center are located in Phoenix, Arizona - USA. The size used for the travertine pieces was the maximum size allowed in Southern California for adhered veneer.

Project	Charles Whittaker Court House
Location	Kansas City - Missouri, USA
Architect	Ellerbe Becket + Abend Singleton Associates
General Contractor	J. E. Dunn Construction
Completed	2000

For the interior lobby of the U.S. Court House in Kansas City, SILVER CLOUD granite with a thermal finish was used in the rotunda area, and supplied by GRANICOR of Canada. The many shapes required by the design included cubic, radial, ramp and twist. The columns are of varying heights and there is little repetition from floor to floor. The feature piece is a hand-sculpted Great Seal of the United States.

MIA Award Merit This project received the AWARD OF MERIT in the 2000 Project Awards Program from the Marble Institute of America (MIA).
The judges comments: "This was a very complex and difficult job that was beautifully executed. Granite is a difficult material to blend and this job was particularly well done.

Project	Valencia Congress Center Palacio De Congresos Y Exposiciones
Location	Valencia - Spain
Architect	Foster & Partners, London - England
General Contractor	UTE Dragados-Necso, Madrid - Spain
Completed	June 1998

Meet architect Sir Norman Foster's new millennium birthday present to the city of Valencia, and also its new symbol: El Palacio De Congressos Y Exposiciones. The spectacular building design created by the prestigious English firm has integrated a universe of sea and light of the eastern coastline of Spain, and has become a point of reference in architecture worldwide.

Over 53,000 sqft (5000 m2) of CREMA BEIDA limestone covering all exterior and interior walls of this unique building, were supplied by Spain's most respected quarrier and producer, BERMARMOL, located in Novelda, province of Alicante, approximately 290 miles (180 Km) south of Valencia. This stone was selected not only for its unique external look, but also because of its excellent physical properties, and the size used was approximately 67"x 26"x 1¼" (170 X 65 X 3 CM).

Project	Langham Hilton
Location	London - England
Architect	Richmond Design Group
General Contractor	Bovis Construction Ltd - United Kingdom
Completed	1990

One of the most talked about and exiting restoration projects of recent years - The Langham Hilton, London - has returned in triumph. After having been closed in 1945, it has become once again a paragon of elegance and luxury, thanks to INTERNATIONAL ITALMARMI, who quarried, produced and supplied the entire stone work. Nowhere is this superb quality of stone and workmanship more evident, than in the spectacular public rooms, where beauty is enhanced by the classic marble and granite floorings and fixtures.

The Palm Court and the reception floor, make extensive use of specially selected & quarried WHITE CARRARA, ROSSO LEVANTO, CREMA VALENCIA and VERDE ISSORIE marbles as well as NERO TIJUCA granite. Restaurant and bar areas are complemented by magnificently carved counter tops in BALTIC BROWN & VERDE FONTAINE granites, and the very rich and warm GIALLO SIENA marble vanity tops bring added luxury to bathrooms.

Project	OSAKA GARDEN CITY DEVELOPMENT
Location	Osaka - Japan
Architect	na
General Contractor	Taisei Construction Co. - Japan
Completed	June 2000

This newly completed Japanese project makes extensive use of AFRICAN LILAC granite from KELGRAN GRANITE of South Africa. The soaring outlines of the Osaka Garden City development in the Umeda North area of Osaka City, Japan, are enhanced by almost 355,000 sqft (33,000 m2) of honed African Lilac cladding. This 30-floor high-rise, owned jointly by the Yasuda Mutual Life Insurance Co and Taisei Construction Co. was started in September 1998, and was opened in June 2000. The stone was supplied to the project by the granite contractor Sekigahara Stone, of Japan.

Project	THE PEPSI CENTER
Location	1000 Chopper Place, Denver CO 80204 - USA
Architect	HOK Sports Facility Group, Kansas City MO - USA
General Contractor	M.A. Mortenson Company, Denver CO - USA
Completed	September 1999

The Pepsi Center, Colorado's new ultra-modern sports arena, and the new home of the basket ball team "Denver Nuggets" & the hockey team "Colorado Avalanche", broke ground in November 1997 and opened its doors to the public on October 1, 1999. Miles of granite and ceramic tile decorate the floors and walls of this beautiful arena. Beneath it all lies MAPEI, a global leader of surface preparation, floor covering installation products, and installation materials for the stone & ceramic tile industries.

Over $2 million worth of tile and stone were supplied & installed by ACE TILE of Denver with the help of Mapei installation and surface preparation products. The stone work includes approximately 60,000 sqft (5,600 m2) PREMIER granite, 18,000 sqft (1,700 m2) IVORY travertine and 9,000 sqft (800 m2) of LILAC & MULTICOLOR slate. Mapei's product were Ultra/Contact RS, Ultra.Color, Ultra/Flex 2 and PRP 315. Mike Towle and Ken Howel of Ace Tile supervised the installation. "We selected Mapei above all the other installation materials due to the customer service and support we have received in the past," stated Mr. Towle. "In addition, everyone involved in the installation of the stone found that Mapei's products were superior and extremely worker friendly."

The Nugget's showers, towering at a height of nine feet, were completely installed with Mapei Ultra/Flex 2, a single-component, polymer-modified thin-set mortar. Mapei PRP 315, 1 two-components flexible cementitious fiber mortar, was the crack suppressant of choice. All of the grout joints were filled with Mapei Ultra/Color, a rapid-curing, high-strength, low-shrinkage grout that is free from the effects of efflorescence and highly color-consistent. Mapei Ultra/Contact RS was used to install over three hundred thousands square feet of 12"x12" and 12"x24" porcelain tile that was 3/8" thick. In addition, all the borders of 1/2" thick granite needed to be carefully aligned with the tile slabs. "We used Ultra/Contact RS due to the large unit tile installed," explains Ken Howel of Ace Tile. With the help of Ultra/Contact RS, they were able to bring the thinner elevation tile flush with the thicker granite tile. Overall, the tasks at hand were truly impressive. With 19 months to accomplish the building of the $180 million Pepsi Center, only premium materials and manpower could be considered. Says Mike Towle of Ace Tile: "When we installed the project, we looked at it like a custom residence, we didn't look at it like a commercial installation. It needed to be true, straight, and flat."

Other features at the Pepsi Center include: two 6-story atrium entryways, a restaurant with views of the playing arena, over 18,000 seats for basket ball and more than 19,000 seats for hockey, 95 luxury-suites, state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems, retail stores and concession stands, a fully equipped production studio with video offices, a high-tech security system. The center will offer up to 200 events each year, including concerts, shows & sports events.

Project	MARKAZ-AL-MAHMAL
Location	Main Square, Jeddah - Saudi Arabia
Architect	Brown Daltas & Associates, Rome - Italy
General Contractor	Samwham Corporation, Jeddah - Saudi Arabia
Completed	1988

In historic Jeddah, adjacent to a large pedestrian mall and a waterfront corniche, the development of this commercial center involved the redesign of a square formed by residential towers, as well as administrative & commercial buildings, and a Mosque & Minaret. Inside as well as on the exterior, a combination of stone and glass was used throughout this new seven-level structure, which also includes office towers.

The stone was fabricated & supplied by COGEMAR Srl of Marina di Massa, Carrara - Italy. For the exterior, patterns were designed with polished and flamed ROSA PORRINO granite, to provide variations of light & color. A combination of GRIGIO SARDO & RED BALMORAL granites was used for pools & fountains. Paving patterns - also in those two colors - were created to offer a relatively free of maintenance walking surface. WHITE CARRARA marble was selected for the Mosque and Minaret. Shopping and office space combined, total approximately 400,000 sqft (39,000 m2) of surface.

Project	Southpoint Mall
Location	Southpoint, North Carolina - U.S.A.
Architect	RTKL, Dallas TX
General Contractor	undisclosed
Completed	2002

Project	THE GRAND MOSQUE SURABAYA
Location	Surabaya City, East Java - Indonesia
Architect	Indonesia Institute Technique, Surabaya - Indonesia
General Contractor	PT Waskita Karaya, Surabaya Branch - Indonesia
Completed	2000

Project	APARTMENT BUILDING
Location	Jakarta, - Indonesia
Architect	Air Mas Architect, Jakarta - Indonesia
General Contractor	Total Bangun Persada - Indonesia
Completed	1999