The Natural Stone Show returns to ExCeL Exhibition Centre in London on 6-8 June this year, once again co-locating with Hard Surfaces. Stone Specialist takes a first look at the exhibitions.
With the previous editions of the Natural Stone Show and Hard Surfaces exhibitions having to be cancelled because of the Covid pandemic, there’s even more reason to make the most of the return of the shows to London this year after a four year gap.
The combination of the two exhibitions, which came together for the first time at the previous event in 2019, gives you a chance to see the latest developments from suppliers covering the full range of products the industry uses.
Since 2019 the new Elizabeth Line rail link has opened, reducing the travelling time to just 12 minutes from the centre of London to ExCeL.
If you’re driving, there’s more than enough easily accessible parking at ExCeL, and if you’re flying in from Ireland or mainland Europe, London City Airport is just five minutes away, serving more than 30 European hubs.
And with the UK now having fully left the European Union, there’s more reason than ever for UK and international stone companies to build relationships that start at the Natural Stone Show.
So what has the Stone Show got for you this year? Read on to find out.
Face-to-face with the UK stone industry
See demonstrations of stonemasonry on the Stone Federation stand.
Brachot, with 20 of its own quarries around the world and two large depots in the UK, offers 800 products from its extensive collection of natural stone and blended materials. Fontanili Marble UK returns to the show to present its extensive range of exotic slabs processed at its factories in Carrara, Italy.
With a reputation for quality, BloomStones London has been supplying fine marbles, granites, quartz and quartzite from around the world for more than 25 years and has just moved into new headquarters (you can read more about BloomStones here in David Coster’s Brief In Counters column where he is in conversation with BloomStone’s Adam Reuvany). The wholesaler is debuting at the show this year.
Other stone suppliers exhibiting for the first time include Mainstream Granite from Sudbury, now sole UK agent for Diresco quartz; Terra Natural; stone tile specialist Authentic Stone; and UK Solmar.
(A full list of exhibitors with product information and contact details will be published in the May/June edition of Natural Stone Specialist and will be available on the StoneShow.co.uk website, giving you time to plan your visit to the Natural Stone Show.)
Get expert guidance in the Stone Federation Village
The Stone Federation Village returns in its central location at the exhibition, celebrating the renaissance of the British stone industry over the past 25 years.
In the Village you will find Federation members that represent the full spectrum of the stone industry in the UK – companies such as Johnston Quarry Group, Doulting stone quarry, Polycor France, The Bath Stone Group, Sandberg, Harrison Goldman, SCS, Fila Solutions, Advanced Stone & Masonry Suppliers and Lithofin.
Architects, designers and specifiers can visit the Stone Village to receive free technical advice on a one-to-one basis from some of the industry’s leading experts.
Technical, ethical sourcing, health & safety and local authority planning... these are just some of the subjects covered by the Federation’s experts. No appointment is necessary, simply introduce yourself at stand E30 and ask the Stone Federation team to match your query to one of the available experts.
As part of the Stone Show programme, Stone Federation Great Britain will also be promoting a number of industry initiatives at the Show, including The Stone Academy and Women In Natural Stone (WINS), as well as leading the debate on the role of stone in sustainability and the value of EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations) .
Stone from around the world
The stone industry is international and the majority of stone used in the UK is imported, which is why the Natural Stone Show has always been the place where overseas producers have introduced their materials to the UK and Ireland.
This time, Portugal, Turkey, China and India are exhibiting with their own pavilions, and individual companies from a plethora of other nations (including Spain, Italy, Germany, Brazil, the United States, Belgium, Holland and France) have stands of their own.
Find solutions for processing and maintaining stone
See the latest technology being put through its paces at the Stone Show.
One of the reasons both natural and engineered stone continues to grow in popularity is that it is more feasible now to use it in innovative and exciting ways, making the processing of it into usable construction products ever more efficient.
That has happened because the machinery, tools and consumables used by the stone industry become ever more sophisticated, thanks in no small measure to the digital revolution.
Once, stone saws cut in straight lines and stonemasons shaped the masonry. Today, five, six, even seven interpolated axes machines work at incredible speeds, controlled by computers, to a high degree of accuracy, making even complex shapes not only achievable but affordable.
As the industry has grown and more machines are used, so the price of the diamond tooling the machines use has fallen. It is not only the purchase price that is lower, but the tools last longer and produce better finishes, producing compound economies.
If you want to make your workshop more productive, efficient and profitable, see the latest stone processing machinery, digital templating, high speed CNC tooling, water treatment and dust extraction systems, specialist software, lifting solutions and all the other latest technical developments that will be displayed at ExCeL.
Leading players will be there, from Breton to Donatoni; Comandulli to Thibaut; Achilli to Terzago; Omag to Denver; Diatex to Wodiam; Prodim to LPE; ECS Eich to Optidrive; Ferrari & Cigarini to Gestra; Slabsmith to Omni Cubed Europe; Emmedue and many more.
Speak to their UK representatives for expert advice – D Zambelis, Vetro Tooling, LPE Group, On Point Engineering, Stone Automation... they can all provide a ‘one stop shop’ solution for your business, helping you select the right machine, optimise its set up, provide maintenance schedules, and carefully choosing the correct attachments and consumables to ensure you can deliver a competitive and comprehensive service to your customers.
Industry stalwarts Stonegate Precision Tooling, The Waters Group and Vetro tooling will also be on hand to provide high speed tooling and ancillary solutions.
Then there are the developments of new materials and processes for fixing, installing and laying stone, sealing it, cleaning and maintaining it, making it easier to use for the processor, installer and end user.
Integra adhesives can provide more than 400 adhesive colours to match 10,000 surfaces in natural stone, quartz, solid surfaces and sintered stone.
Lithofin UK, Fila Surface Care Solutions, Stone Care Europe, Tenax, Dry Treat (ASM) and MP Treatment are among the leading brands that will be back at the Stone Show with increasingly eco-friendly cleaning, protecting and maintenance products.
Joining them this time is Tiling Logistics, with a portfolio of Faber and LTP products. It will also showcase the Klindex floor cleaning and polishing machines it sells.
Get your CPD up-to-date at the Natural Stone & Building Conservation Conference
A specially designed seminar theatre on the exhibition floor will host the Natural Stone & building Conservation Conference.
Enhance your knowledge with free CPD-accredited seminars supported by Stone Federation Great Britain, Historic England and RIBA.
The seminars take place in the main exhibition area this time in a dedicated seminar theatre. There will be three sessions on each of the days of the Show, starting at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. Each session will conclude with a panel of experts taking questions from the audience.
The full programme will be released in the spring. It will include a dedicated ‘architects day’ on the Tuesday; an ‘industry day’ on the Wednesday; and a ‘conservation day’ on the Thursday. (Pre-registration will be necessary for some of the seminars).
The Industry Choice Award will be presented to one of the Award winners in the different categories of the Stone Federation Natural Stone Awards, presented in December.
Choose your winner in the Industry Choice Award.
Everyone who pre-registers to visit the Show will be invited to cast a vote for their favourite project ahead of the exhibition itself (to vote, click here).
The winning project will be announced during the Stone Show on Tuesday 6 June as part of Architects’ Day. The award will be presented following a series of rapid PechaKucha-style presentations of the award-winning projects. This will be followed by an invitation-only drinks and networking lunch in the nearby North Gallery Room.
Visitors will also be able to admire the inspirational award-winning projects in a photographic gallery adjacent to the seminar theatre.
Emerging Talent Award
On Wednesday 7 June, ‘industry day’, the seminar theatre will be the venue for a celebration of Emerging Talent in the stone industry, with 10 individuals who have made a positive contribution to the stone industry each being presented with an award and a £250 voucher.
Do you have someone in your team who is an ‘emerging talent’? Someone wanting to go above and beyond what is required and to push the limits of their abilities? Show them how much you appreciate them by entering them for the Emerging Talent Award. The 10 entrants judged most deserving will each receive a prize and a voucher worth £250.
Ceramic, engineered quartz, porcelain, sintered stone, ultra-compact surfaces, terrazzo, polished concrete, glass and mosaics... they are all included and you will be able to see the latest innovations for vertical and horizontal surfaces.
From lightweight façades to 3D printed tiles; interior floors that extend seamlessly on to patios; kitchen worktops with matching cabinets. Sizes, colours, textures combine to extend the scope of architecture and design to any level of individual expression.
Come and be inspired by the latest products being promoted by exhibitors and get a fresh insight into all the latest trends driving the industry at the dedicated seminar programme and curated ‘sustainability meets design’ materials gallery.
Exhibitor highlights
Hard Surfaces will host a range of market leading ‘Made in Italy’ ceramic and porcelain suppliers, such as Ceramiche Keope, the producer of porcelain stoneware wall and floor tiles for indoors and outdoors use in commercial, public and residential spaces.
Big Slabs by Nuovocorso sees porcelain stoneware in 160 x 320cm format, in a wide variety of textures and thicknesses for the furniture market (countertops, tables, sinks), traditional ceramic sector (floor and wall coverings) and ventilated façades.
Ceramiche Caesar personifies high end design with its Prima range, an eclectic palette of harmonious, warm and soft tones. View Ceramiche (Archi-porcelain) will display an impressive range of floor designs for flowing from indoor to outdoor living areas.
Engineered Stone, with an extensive selection of quartz brands, will showcase new colours, textures and larger formats. Stone Italiana is represented in the UK by Italian Luxury Surfaces, which holds large stocks ranges from Arabesque to Virgo, and Bianco Artico to Brillante Nero. Artemis Stone will present its 2023 Collection, ‘Art in Light’. Quartz Hub is a supplier of quartz slabs to the trade throughout mainland UK, drawing on 30 years of experience in the industry. Noble Stone is another large quartz distributor based in London. Clay International supplies large-scale engineered surface slabs by Infinity in sizes up to 324cm x 162cm and thicknesses of 6mm, 12mm and 20mm. And Spectra Stone sources, finishes and fits engineered, natural and semi-precious stone to luxury commercial and residential projects.
BBS Brick & Stone will be showcasing hard landscaping materials for the public realm, streetscapes and environmental improvements and specialist house-building products.
All kinds of solutions for fixing, installing and maintaining hard surfaces will be exhibited, including the concealed, quick assembly fastening system Fast-Con from Northern Precision.
MaterialDistrict – Sustainability meets design
As well as the exhibitors, Hard Surfaces offers a peek at the innovations that might be making their way on to the CNC machinery of fabricators in years to come in an exhibition within the exhibition curated by MaterialDistrict, a Dutch materials match-making platform that specialises in identifying the potential of the latest developments.
MaterialDistrict will be showing more than 100 internationally-sourced surfaces at this year’s exhibition.
Unexpected performance and innovative aesthetics will be found in materials featured for their lightweight, sustainable and recycled content, their durability and other distinct properties and visual appeal.
There are products for exterior and interior use created to satisfy both form and function.
Hard Surfaces is all about new surfaces, meeting sustainable challenges, and the creative use of digital techniques for smarter ways to add that wow-factor to construction.
As well as materials already familiar to the sector (sintered, solid surfaces and quartz) how about cast basalt, industrial metallics, acoustic lightweight concrete, curvy natural stone paper, 3D printed structural support beams, recycled trash terrazzo, or products that absorb CO2. There are smart composites, including one that combines stone and wood, and water-absorbing tiles. In fact, there’s so much you’ve just got to see it and touch it to believe it! Come and be inspired.
Comprehensive seminar programme
Hard Surfaces has its own seminar theatre on the exhibition floor where there will be nine sessions, three each day, chaired by journalist, blogger, influencer and self-confessed tile addict Joe Simpson.
The full programme will be published on HardSurfaces.co.uk and in Stone Specialist magazine in the spring, but here’s a quick look at subjects being covered:
Global Tile Trends for 2023/24 in wall tiles, floor tiles, and hard surfaces will be discussed by Canadian tile guru Ryan Fasan. There will be an exploration of how advanced decorating technologies such as digital inkjet printing and dry dust deposition have reinvigorated the market for traditional artisan tiles and created an emerging market for short-run, bespoke tiles
There will be a detailed analysis of the green credentials of ceramics, especially porcelain, covering water re-use, embodied energy & co-generation, recycled content, raw material sourcing, transport & logistics, installation, durability, maintenance, and end-of-life options.
There will be discussion of augmented surfaces for photocatalytic, hydrophobic, photoluminescent and self-cleaning tiles, and a look at the explosion in the use of 20mm and 30mm porcelains in landscaping. Dry, pedestal, and adhesive laying systems, inside-out living, slip-resistance, sealing & maintenance, patterns and decoration will all be explored.
Large format porcelains, or sintered stones are also seeing exponential growth in ventilated façades, especially since the Grenfell Tower fire. Stone-effects, metallic-effects, concrete-effects, timber effects, textures and tints, visible and invisible framing, XXL panels and smaller formats, gel adhesives and more will all be discussed.
High-performance photocatalytic ceramic surfaces by Iris Ceramica Group feature titanium dioxide with added silver. See them at Hard Surfaces in June.
Meet the Stone Show and Hard Surfaces organising team below. They are (left to right) Dave Wright – Marketing & Social Media; Abi Smith – Assistant Event Manager; Charlotte Stacey – Exhibition Account Manager; Richard Bradbury – Show Director; David Fisher – Head of Exhibition Sales; Harvey Sugden – Event Manager. There are still a few stands left for the June exhibitions. To book a stand at either, call Charlotte on +44 (0)115 945 4376 (charlotte.stacey@qmj.co.uk) or David +44 (0)115 865 8283 (david.fisher@qmj.co.uk) or go online to StoneShow.co.uk or HardSurfaces.co.uk.
The Portland Sculpture & Quarry Trust (PSQT) and Greenpeace UK have unveiled a new artwork in Portland limestone called ‘The Ocean Stone’, to highlight the importance of protecting the oceans and raise awareness of the destruction human activities wreak on them.
The Ocean Stone is one of 12 ‘Memory Stones’, an artwork by Hannah Sofaer, a major player in the PSQT. The Memory Stones overlook Tout Quarry on the island of Portland, off the coast of Weymouth in Dorset.
Each of the stones has its own significance, linking the historical culture, crafts and land use in Portland to the future. The Ocean Stone is the first of the 12 to be unveiled.
In September, Greenpeace built an underwater barrier of 18 boulders in the English Channel’s South West Deeps Marine Protected Area (MPA) to protect the seafloor from destructive industrial fishing.
The boulders were of Portland limestone and artists from PSQT carved one of them into an ammonite sculpture, evocative of the ocean’s role in sustaining life for millions of years and of our responsibility to preserve it for future generations.
The unveiling of The Ocean Stone on Portland on 16 February.
The Ocean Stone faces out to sea in the direction of the underwater boulders. The stone is inscribed as follows: “Stand with your back to this stone and look out to sea. 307 miles southwest of here lies an underwater barrier of boulders like these protecting the ocean from destructive industrial fishing and, with it, all of our futures. This ocean stone commemorates the collaboration between the Portland Sculpture and Quarry Trust and Greenpeace defending and safeguarding the UK's marine protected areas in an ocean that has sustained life for millions of years.”
The inscription moves in waves across the natural surface of the stone, reflecting the waves of the ocean.
The surface of the stone was prepared for the inscription by having ribbons carved into it for the lettering, which flows upwards to represent the potential for a positive future if man respects and protects the oceans and its lifeforms now.
Artist Hannah Sofaer said: "Here in Tout Quarry we have a long history of regenerating the land and believe art can bring people from different backgrounds and disciplines together to effect positive change.
“That’s exactly what we did with Greenpeace last year. The Ocean Stone stands as a record of this and an invitation for visitors to look out to sea and contemplate our responsibility to protect the ocean for future generations.
“Unveiling this work now is significant because next week UN talks will resume to agree a strong global oceans treaty. It’s a crucial moment for us here in Portland and for the whole world.”
Greenpeace UK’s continued work on the protected areas of sea around the British Isles links to the global goal of conserving at least 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030 – a goal that has failed to reach any of its internationally agreed targets so far.
Will McCallum, Co-Executive Director of Greenpeace UK, said: “The unveiling of this magnificent and beautiful stone is a powerful reminder of the importance of our oceans and the need for urgent action to safeguard them for future generations.
“Crafted from local Portland stone, it’s a poignant reminder that ocean protection is vital for coastal communities – people across the world who depend on the ocean for their livelihoods need politicians to act now.
“The UK government’s position, when it comes to negotiating for a strong global ocean treaty, is drastically weakened by the fact that protection for UK oceans is still completely inadequate.
“One simple step to ban industrial fishing in UK Marine Protected Areas would secure the future of our oceans at home and make the UK government truly world leaders in ocean protection, increasing their influence on the world stage.
“This stone is a symbol of hope that one day that vision will become a reality.”
Destination Art (Art Essentials) by Amy Dempsey, published by Thames and Hudson in 2021
Tout Quarry Sculpture Park & Nature Reserve is featured in Amy Dempsey’s latest book called Destination Art, a grand tour of more than 60 destinations containing thousands of artworks from the 20th and 21st centuries.
The beginning of the inscription that flows across the stone in waves, like the waves of the ocean.
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New sculpture on Portland highlights man’s violation of the sea
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Stone Cladding Systems (SCS) has entered an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partnership with Hilti Great Britain to supply Hilti backing structure and bracket design with the SCS Aztec rainscreen system.
The Hilti system, like the Aztec, is fully tested to CWCT requirements. Bringing the two systems together means Aztec can offer a fully designed, warranted and competitive system from stone facing to support brackets.
Jason Kennedy, Director of SCS, says: "With many customers preferring one supply route for Aztec and a trusted backing structure we looked for a quality, reliable supplier with good design and backup.
"The Hilti system also has the option of floor to floor rail support with brackets to suit. All our Aztec testing has been done on the Hilti backing structure, so it made sense to partner with them and offer the complete package."
Customers can now source the Hilti backing system and the Aztec Rainscreen System fully designed and warranted from one source.
If you are looking for natural stone rainscreen cladding, contact Jason at sales@scs-stone.co.uk / Tel: 01335 361000.
From Georgian, through Regency and into the mid-Victorian era, Coade stone was popular. Not least among it attractions was that it made work by some of the great artists of the day reproducible and, therefore, more affordable. And the fact that the formula for making it was kept a secret until it was unlocked by late 20th century science added to its mystery.
Coade stone takes its name from the family that made this early fired clay example of engineered stone. While no doubt the stone industry of the day took exception to it, it is highly regarded by today’s conservators who are involved in its restoration alongside stonework.
Coade stone was produced as ashlar, especially with finishes such as vermiculation that were expensive to produce in stone, and as key stones with carved figures over doorways. It made such work more widely affordable.
However, to enhance the reputation of the material, the Coade family employed some of the great artists of the day to produce original carvings from which Coade stone reproductions were made. Bacon, Rossi, Smirke and a great many others all carved work specifically for production in Coade stone.
Coade Stone reached a height of popularity when the company producing it was run by Mrs Eleanor Coade, assisted by her daughter of the same name and William Groggan, a distant cousin.
They moved the business from Dorset into Lambeth in London to supply the building boom in the city and Coade Stone quickly became fashionable in the capital. They had an illustrious list of customers, including George III himself.
Eventually the company passed into the sole ownership of William Groggan, who went bankrupt in 1833. His son, Thomas, tried to resurrect the business but the material did not return to its former popularity. The business eventually passed to one of its employees, Mark Blanchard, who was more successful and continued trading until 1870.
The secret of Coade Stone died with Blanchard and was only rediscovered in the 1990s by the British Museum. They said it consisted of ball clay with 5-10% ground flint, 5-10% quartz sand and about 10% soda-lime-silica glass that acted as a vitrifying agent.
The mixture was fired at about 1,000ºC to produce a vitrified material of exceptional durability. In restoration projects it often shows less deterioration due to weathering and pollution than the stone around it, although today’s stone companies would say it lacks stone’s much admired and distinctive patina of age.
The Wembley Park project is a multi-billion-pound redevelopment by Quintain of the 85-acre Wembley Park estate.
Leading landscaping product supplier Marshalls’ engagement started as long ago as 2006, working with the appointed ‘landscape guardian’ and designer Kirk Nelson from LDA Design.
Being involved early on enabled Marshalls to advise on product selection, costs and sourcing for a site-wide design code developed and adopted by Brent Council and Highways. From this, specifications were generated for the liveable streets, residential plots and public squares, gardens, and parks.
Marshalls was appointed as a ‘key supplier’ by Quintain in 2017, actively working with the developer, its designers, delivery contractors, and sub-contractors to fully map and understand each plot of the project in detail.
Dixon Jones worked with Marshalls’ design experts on the product selection during the design phase and wanted to use granite paving flexibly, which is uncommon in the UK. In Olympic Way, the main artery through the development, Marshalls’ Elara granite was sawn but laid unbound. The sides of the sawn granite were sandblasted to improve its adherence to jointing sand. This looks good, performs well and is quick and easy to maintain.
Following a successful trial, Marshalls supplied Tarvos Granite, Tegula Pennant Grey, Conservation X Kerb and Birco 100 Channel Drainage for the entire length of Olympic Way.
At the end of Olympic Way new steps were installed as the main approach to the National Stadium, with elevators for accessibility. Quintain brought together designer Dixon Jones, contractor VolkerFitzpatrick, Belgian precaster Decomo and Marshalls to contribute to the final design, supply, offsite manufacture and installation of the steps. Marshalls’ Callisto silver grey and Prospero mid grey granites were selected for the steps and landing areas.
A number of architects had a hand in the different landscaping pockets of Wembley Park and though each is individualistic, these plots always referred to the Marshalls pallet of paving and were reviewed by the landscape architect guardians, LDA Design, to ensure overall cohesion.
Olympic Way with steps leading up to the National Stadium at the end. Pictured are Marshalls’ silver grey Tarvos setts, grey Tegula Pennant, grey Birco100 drainage channels and silver grey Conservation X kerbs, step treads and risers.
