Historically speaking, marble has been an essential piece in architecture. For example, St. Mark’s Basilica, the Taj Mahal, and other significant places in the world are reference today for all the architects who present their projects with slabs of this millenary material.
We know that we are leaving many places out, but these are some hot spots you can visit and which, undoubtedly, are a strong source of inspiration.
Palacio de Bellas Artes is one of the most representative buildings in Mexico City. This cultural space hosts all kinds of events, embellishes the streets of the city center and is a marble wonder.
The Taj Mahal, in India, is a masterpiece built out of love. Its marble dome has forever stood out within architecture and it is one of the wonders of the modern world.
The St. Mark’s Basilica as we know it today is the result of the workforce of Venetian people, who had to rebuild it in the year 932 after a fire. Its walls, facades, and domes stand out thanks to their cladding in different marbles.
The Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library in Yale University stands out, not only for housing the world’s rarest books, but also for its façade made of marble, so the light from the exterior cannot harm the contents of the building.
The Barcelona Pavilion is one of the masterpieces from the modern movement. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was the master behind the work, who employed glass, steel, and different kinds of rock (green marble from the Alps, Roman travertine, Atlas golden onyx, and ancient green marble from Greece).
Rómola is the restaurant in Madrid winner of the interior design award to “Best Restaurant in Europe”. An interesting fact is that not long after it opened, it closed its doors indefinitely. Nonetheless, it cannot be left behind, since it features a great amount of marble.
The spa at the Four Seasons located in The Surf Club, Miami is an ode to the sea and the sun, white marble from Greece is a key piece to reach the greatest state of relaxation.
The Yves Saint Laurent stores usually stand out for their use of marble; the most recent and impressive of them is located in Dubai.
Cafeteria is an establishment in Tel Aviv, which stands out, in addition to its design, for its floor, fully made of colorful marble pieces.
The Budapest Café is located in Chengdu, China; its source of inspiration was Wes Anderson’s movie. It is geometrically designed and uses marble to highlight furniture and the bar.
Ryo Kan is an urban lodge located in Mexico City. It boasts marble details and neutral colors; also, the space dedicated to relaxation offers a Japanese and Mexican cultural blend.
The Hammam Suite at T Spa in Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Lago di Como is a work in marble, which in addition to relaxing, impresses by its delicacy. A wave of Italian white marble joins a traditional Turkish bath.
The Musée D’Arts de Nantes features a marble façade and a geometrical design.
Fala Atelier transformed what used to be a clothing store in Porto into a real estate agency filled with marble. They used different colors like green for workspace divisions, gray for tables, and black for the lobby.
Luca Guadagnino (movie director, known for his film Call Me By Your Name) used pink marble, among other details, in the design of the Aesop store in Rome.
XYZ Lounge is a public space in Gand, Belgium, whose purpose is to redefine the use of spaces. It features meeting rooms, an open space for night parties, bar, and terrace. XYZ Lounge features marble in different presentations: panels, lighting, the bar, and some pieces of furniture boast this material.
Restaurant Monsieur Bleu, in Paris, has an Art Deco design, mixing green marble with velvet for benches and black marble for the walls and geometry.
The Remède Spa Lounge located in Singapore’s St. Regis hotel features Finnish cedar saunas with white marble in almost all its decoration. One of the most popular amenities is the Ice Fountain, unique in the whole country, which uses snow to cleanse the body.
The French fashion firm Céline opened its doors in Miami with a flagship store filled with Pinta Verde marble.
Tuve is a hotel in Hong Kong that combines marble with other materials to offer a simple and refined design, which in addition, features light games to bring cultures together.