Winners know the value of the Natural Stone Show, which is why so many of those recognised in the Stone Awards will be exhibiting at the Stone Show when it opens at ExCeL London on 30 April.

The 2012 Stone Awards were presented by Stone Federation Great Britain at Lord's, the home of Marylebone Cricket Club (the MCC), on 30 November in front of a packed house of construction industry clients and professionals and their stone contractors and suppliers. You can see a video of the event by clicking here. http://www.naturalstonespecialist.com/currentissue/unlockednewsarticle.php?id=5855

It was an exciting, uplifting celebration of the best the stone industry offers in new build, conservation, interiors, hard landscaping, craftsmanship, technology and sustainability – all prominent themes at the Natural Stone Show.

Stone Award winners who will be at the Natural Stone Show (30 April – 2 May) include:

Stone Developments (Stand H36). The company’s Carlow Irish Blue limestone was used for the Landscape Award Winner, More London, the Queen’s Walk, London. The judges said it resonated consistency while the different finishes used delivered variety in both look and feel. Overall, the project demonstrated the use of natural stone as a unifying factor in this urban streetscape. Stone Developments also supplied the Alta Quartzite used in the Commended project, Elizabeth Street Public Realm, Belgravia, London

Johnsons Wellfield Quarries (Stand C20). The company’s much vauted Crosland Hill Hard Yorkstone was used in Tudor Square, Sheffield, another project in the Landscape category, which was Highly Commended. The complicated planters, known as ‘Derbyshire Pebbles’, were produced on Johnsons’ four CNC robots in their highly sophisticated factory.

The Bath Stone Group (Stand E35). In the New Build Modern Style Stone Cladding Category the Award winner was The Merchant Hotel, Belfast, built in the Bath Stone Group’s Bath Stone as 75mm cladding that the judges said “prssents a high degree of quality control in the manufacture”.

Solnhofen Stone Group (Stand C36). Another in the New Build Modern Style category, the Commended 12 Upper Street St Martin’s Lane, London, used vein-cut 50mm Jura Beige limestone from Solnhofen as the outer skin of the reinforced concrete structure.

Albion Stone (Stand E19). The famous Portland Whitbed from Albion was used at No 1 Bartholomew Lane, London, a cladding project the judges said had the look of traditionally solid masonry with well detailed string courses and deeply recessed windows for effective weathering.

MB Stone International (Stand E56). Moving on to the Repair & Restoration category, Anglo European Stone – exhibiting as MB Stone International at the Stone Show – supplied the Caen Stone for the Award Winning project of the Quadrangle, East Elevation, Buckingham Palace – and projects don’t come much more prestigious than that! The finish on the stones was to match the surrounding material, which meant much of the moulded work has a fine rubbed finished while the plain ashlar has a relatively coarse French dragged finished, often lapping over the joints from stone to stone, as was the style in the 19th century when the Quadrangle was built.

Dimpomar (Stand E10). In the Interiors classification, Dimpomar featured in both Highly Commended and Commended projects. They supplied the Rosal limestone used to build the stunningly slender and elegant Staircase at the Red House and the Moca Crème Fine grain helical staircase sculpted in the entry Private Dwelling, North London (pictured left).

Forest of Dean Stone Firms (Stand D20).. Black Mountain Quarries (Stand P60). Johnsons Wellfield Quarries (Stand C20). The stones of all these companies featured in the Craftmanship section in a project the judges described as an “exquisitely conceived and executed 75mm thick giant stone jigsaw puzzle”. It is The Apple Tree, Hereford Cathedral. The masons at Forest of Dean Stone Firms spent 500 hours crafting the stones into their various inlayed sections using Forest of Dean Stone Firms’ Royal Forest Pennant, Black Mountain’s Hereford Red sandstone and Johnsons Wellfield’s Crosland Hill York stone (among others). The intricate, six-sided Apple Tree mosaic at the West Front entrance of the Cathedral is created from about 100 individual pieces of stone.

Albion Stone (Stand E19). Portland limestone also featured in the New Technology category for the Bourne Hill Offices, Salisbury, Wiltshire. Portland Bowers Roach was innovatively used for passive cooling as large, vertical fins that form a colonnade around the building and shade the glass facades. The fins are designed to accept up to 60mm movement at the top, which was a challenge the stone detailing had to overcome.

Finally, Albion Stone also triumphed in a one-off Special Award – Art in Stone. It was presented in recognition of Green Park Underground Station with integral Sea Strata artwork, Piccadilly, London. Various beds of Portland limestone have been used not just to clad the structure but to turn it into a work of art, thanks to the artist John Maine.

Join the winners at the Natural Stone Show and be inspired. Click here to register for your free ticket now!

Or you can be among the winners exhibiting at the Natural Stone Show by contacting the team for the latest availability: +44 (0) 115 945 3889