XXIII UIA Congress: A workshop with Kengo Kuma

The precise mission of Marmomacc, the International Exhibition of Stone, Design and Techonology which this year celebrate its 43rd edition, currently focuses on detailed exploration of the variegated potential offered by a material boasting ancient and prestigious traditions such as natural stone.

Marmomacc, in short, promotes education, exposure, stone sector publishing, and design by rewarding - every two years for more than twenty years - those works of architecture that best interpret the specific character of this material and contemporary creativity. In this context, the relationship that Marmomacc has established over time with the protagonists of international architectural design is of fundamental importance. The goal has been to devote attention and visibility to these design leaders, within a systematic framework of collaboration and continuity. This approach has contributed to building the now well-established relationship between VeronaFiere and one of the modern masters of Japanese architecture Kengo Kuma, who in 2001 received the Marmomacc International Stone Architecture Award for the innovative and lyrical impact of the Stone Museum in Nasu.

Last year, Kuma was one of the protagonists of the first edition of "Marmomacc Meets Design", when Il Casone won - thanks to the design and construction of its booth based on a new stone module concept - one of the three Best Communicator Awards presented during the Show. Marmomacc has now opted for the sophisticated, incomparable approach of the Japanese maestro as its hallmark for the prestigious XXIII UIA International Congress of Architects, took place in Turin from 29 June-3 July.

Marmomacc, in short, will not only use the expressive module created by Kuma for Il Casone to set up its own space dedicated to education at the Oval - from which publications covering the trade show’s more than forty years of activity will also be made available - but will also present the workshop with the emblematic title "SOFT-STONE Stone Origami" (30/06, 17.00, Lingotto, London Hall), which will give the Japanese master the opportunity to discuss the multitude of stone themes involved in his projects.The workshop comes within the scope of Kuma's attendance at the UIA Congress in Turin where he participated as one of the protagonists of the inaugural "lectio magistralis" and a meeting on the following day focusing on libraries.