Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen has unveiled a series of furniture pieces and showcased them in a multi-sensory installation with Mexican stone company Arca during Miami art week.
The Gravitas collection consists of seating, shelving and tables made with stone from Arca, sourced from quarries in Spain, Mexico and Italy.
Gravitas includes 18 pieces made from Porfido, lava stone, Carrara marble and Cafesino. The forms range from small stools to monumental shelving and tables.
Vincent Van Duysen worked with Arca to create a series of furniture designs in stone
Each piece has rough surfaces, rendered by hand, and more than 80 hours of labour went into some of the large pieces.
The stone was polished for particular elements of the pieces, such as the seats of the chairs. With the exception of a large circular table, each of the pieces consists of a single blocks of stone, which were machine cut from larger blocks before being shaped by the artisans.
The stone was sourced from three different countries
"It's incredible to see how a stone can transform simply by applying different treatments," Van Duysen told Dezeen.
"This process involves a juxtaposition of textures from the same stone, engaging in a dialogue with the overall shape of the object."
They were hand carved by artisans
Van Duysen worked closely with Arca and the artisans to carry out the project. Artisans were selected from locations near the quarries.
"The pieces speak for themselves an...