Marimar Intends to Reshape Our Relationship with Natural Stones

Natural stone, long revered for its intrinsic uniqueness and timeless elegance, is seeing a transformative new vision led by Marimar, a trailblazer in the Veronese marble district. With its ambitious UNICUM project, Marimar seeks to redefine our relationship with natural stones by unravelling their true essence and origin.

Rooted in a deep appreciation for the intrinsic link between natural stone and its provenance, the philosophy underpinning UNICUM transcends a mere exploration of texture or shade. This pioneering project invites us on a journey beyond the tangible, fostering a deeper connection with the stone’s cultural and emotional dimensions, and a quest to uncover the stories whispered by its grains and veins.

Nuvolato Calacatta and Prime marbles, the stars of UNICUM, are dolomite marbles enriched with a high concentration of quartz. They exhibit aesthetic grace, robustness, and resilience against acid and stains. Their bold character, reminiscent yet distinct from classic white marbles, elevates environments with an unparalleled sophisticated ambiance.

These Brazilian stones, making their debut at Marmomac 2023, mark the ongoing synergistic partnership between Marimar and Michelangelo Marmores do Brasil, a cornerstone for distributing exquisite materials in the European market. Marmomac, held in Verona is the most prominent global fair dedicated to the entire stone supply chain. From quarries to products, including technologies, machines, and equipment, Marmomac is the international meeting point for industry leaders. United by a shared vision of incorporating natural stone in impactful designs, this alliance enhances the quality of products and services offered, fostering knowledge-sharing throughout the supply chain.

“The collaboration with Michelangelo begins at the quarry, with the selection of materials suitable for the European market. Michelangelo has outstanding capabilities in terms of quarry development; they handle material extraction and raw block production. We import a mix of blocks and slabs into Europe. In Verona, we further process them in various ways, depending on the specific and bespoke solutions requested by our clients: from semi-finished goods to bespoke products, from furniture pieces to wall cladding applications, and from standard modular elements to highly engineered solutions. Despite the highly technological production, the human and artisanal touch is always necessary. This is another reason why this material never ceases to amaze,” shares Francesco Baldassari, owner of the marble institution.

Marimar’s initiative strives to dismantle prevalent stereotypes around natural stone by offering an enlightening experience that enables people to uncover the intrinsic characteristics of marble. The company envisions a future with a growing inclination towards natural stone in architectural projects and is investing heavily in education to alleviate biases and perceived constraints.

Marimar’s profound influence in the Veronese marble district is undeniable. Adopting a customer-centric approach, the company has fostered district-level collaborations and leveraged the diverse production hub of Verona. UNICUM serves as a convergence point for architects, fabricators, and customers, illuminating Marimar’s transformation process and the rich technological landscape of Verona.

“Marimar has, through the decades, structured its operations with a singular focus: to fulfil customer desires. This means adopting a flexible production system and leveraging the Veronese production hub through focused externalisation strategies. Instead of going deep, we have chosen to go wide, with the intention of always providing a plausible solution to the client. UNICUM is a moment of gathering: architects, fabricators, and customers in general, have the chance to discover our transformation process based on the know-how and the technology available here in Verona,” says Francesco.

The process begins with understanding the client’s ambitions, expectations, and constraints, followed by a comprehensive assessment of the application’s technical and aesthetic prerequisites. This client-centric methodology has guided Marimar for 30 years, ensuring a harmonious alignment of needs and solutions.

In collaboration with Simple Flair, Marimar curated an immersive experience at their slab warehouse in Via Napoleone, challenging preconceived notions about natural stone. The idea was to envelop guests in warmth and familiarity, with panels adorned with marble backdrops and a central elongated table showcasing these distinguished stones. Complementing wooden elements underpin the marble seating surfaces, crafting a harmonious union of textures.

“The only way to overcome these stereotypes is to share knowledge in a simple yet comprehensive manner. Our goal with this initiative is to offer an experience that allows people to effortlessly learn more about natural stone. Indeed, I anticipate more customers choosing marble for its intrinsic characteristics in the future. We are investing heavily in training to dispel old biases and constraints and usher marble into a new era,” he concludes.