One of the activities that exhibits the Marmomacc fair’s quality is the selection of the International Stone Architecture Award, which will have a new edition in 2009. Since it began in 1987, this prize has been an attraction for architects, engineers and academics. The award is devoted to research in the use of stone construction materials in harmony with the disciplines of architecture and design.

The list of work chosen during the award’s history of more than 20 years clearly demonstrates how the languages used to express stone architecture worldwide are flourishing: from thin and refined overlays to the construction of massive walls created by the great masters of contemporary architecture.

The most recent editions of this award have broadened their scope to other quality fields that are less exposed to the public, to the point of focusing on Italian architecture, one of the touchstones for current architecture that has inspired the work of many architects.

The 2009 edition of the 2009 International Stone Architecture Award (organized by Marmomacc and coordinated in continuity with the previous events by Vincenzo Pavan) will be carried out under the scrutiny of an international jury, consisting of historians, critics and professors. The act of choosing respected and internationally renowned professors guarantees a pluralistic selection and a rigorous decision.

The jury pays attention to stone architecture that is created both publicly and privately. In the public sector, it may deal with important projects at principal institutions in European cities, as well as small urban spaces or even small educational structures in remote rural areas. Meanwhile, for the private sector, the choice will be based on criteria that value the recycling and renovation of urban areas using stone.

However, beyond the variety of options that are being presented and evaluated, all of the selected work can find common parameters. In all cases, the jury will observe if the selected work clearly communicates the ability of stone to not only create a strong connection with tradition, but also to represent and evoke the relationship between the material and nature.