On 16 June 2026, a training event dedicated to the contemporary applications of natural stone in architecture, combining technical framing and international case studies
The enhancement programme promoted by PNA – Pietra Naturale Autentica continues with the launch of the “Pietra in Movimento” roadshow, a project designed to bring the theme of natural stone into the main professional and training contexts linked to architecture. The aim is to give space and voice to the design work of the network’s member companies through technically focused, concrete conferences capable of exploring the role of natural stone in contemporary design.
The roadshow stems from a process of analysis and selection of the most interesting areas for promoting stone culture, cross-referencing several factors: the number of members registered with professional Orders, the presence of universities, proximity to stone basins, the relevance of architecture-related events and consistency with the target design ecosystem. In this sense, Florence represents a particularly significant stop: a city where the relationship between architecture, material and building tradition is an integral part of its urban identity, but also an active context for debate on contemporary design.
The event is scheduled for Tuesday, 16 June 2026, at Il Fuligno, Sala Blu – Centro Servizi e Formazione Montedomini, Via Faenza 48, Florence. The meeting, entitled “Pietra in Movimento. From Material to Project: Contemporary Applications of Natural Stone in Architecture”, is aimed in particular at architects and designers and is organised in collaboration with the Ordine e Fondazione Architetti di Firenze.
The programme will open at 1:45 p.m. with participant registration, followed at 2:15 p.m. by the start of the proceedings and institutional greetings from Stefano Ghirardi, President of Rete PNA – Pietra Naturale Autentica, and a representative of the Order of Architects of Florence. The first part of the meeting will be dedicated to the technical framing of the material, with a presentation by Claudia Chiappino, mining engineer, on the technical characteristics, performance qualities and sustainability values of natural stone. This will be followed by Raffaella Laezza, architect and PhD from IUAV University of Venice, who will explore the role and value of authentic natural stone in contemporary design.
The second part of the conference will feature a series of projects by several companies belonging to PNA and will be dedicated to the analysis of case studies, following a path that crosses different project types: production and work environments, business and service centres, hospitality and public buildings. Among the projects presented are the Cantina Leonildo Pieropan in Soave, built with Pietra di Vicenza to a design by architect Moreno Zurlo of Studio A.c.M.e., presented by Francesco Grassi of Grassi Pietre; the new Acqua Minerale Valamora plant in Luserna San Giovanni, featuring Pietra di Luserna, designed by Studio RWA Ruffo Wolf e Architetti, presented by Elisa Camusso of Beltramo; and One Vanderbilt in New York, with cladding and columns in Marmo Statuario Caldia® True White, presented by Nicoletta Caruso of Marmi e Graniti.
The programme will continue with the case of The Westin London City Hotel in London, designed by Dexter Moren Associates and presented by Giuliano Ghirardi of Marmi Ghirardi, and with the New Campus of Bocconi University in Milan, designed by Grafton Architects and built with Ceppo di Gré and Aggloceppo®, presented by Giulio Marini of Marini Marmi. The proceedings will end at 6:00 p.m. with a closing aperitif.
Through dialogue between technical expertise, design research and concrete built projects, the conference aims to show how natural stone can continue to be a fully contemporary material: beyond construction memory and aesthetic value, also a high-performance, sustainable resource capable of engaging with the needs of contemporary architecture.
The event is currently being accredited by the Order of Architects of Florence.