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materials with tailored finishes. These professionals can boast both technical and artistic skills. Our sector requires more than just vast knowledge of the materials from a technical point of view: only a highly developed aesthetic sensitivity can valorise that knowledge during the processing stages.

Consumers are increasingly demanding. Who is your target audience? Today, our market is truly a global one. A stone extracted in South America is now processed in Italy before continuing its existence on the other side of the globe, in Russia, where our stones are highly sought after, and on the Eastern European market. Marble is particularly appreciated in Arab countries, where a magniloquent approach is widespread both in public structures and private homes.

What do the customers of Marmi Lanza have in common? In my opinion, our customers share a high level of attention to quality, both in terms of raw materials and of the type of cut and treatment they undergo: we can ensure our materials are cut to size, thus generating truly unique items.

Which market does Marmi Lanza address? We have always been a point of reference for the construction sector, thanks to both the excellent quality- price ratio we can guarantee by working on a large scale, and our sophisticated materials and tailored finishes for the luxury construction sector. Over the

past couple of years, we have also been focusing on the furniture market, flanking architects and interior designers during the development of customised and sometimes very complex projects: starting from the design project, we are able to perform the exact required cut and sculpt the materials with state-of- the-art machinery.

Can you tell us about a material you are placing a strong focus on? I strongly believe in the potential of quartzite. This is one of the most versatile materials on the market, as it is highly resistant and features magnificent veins that are reminiscent of those found in marble. We are speaking of an elegant stone, an ideal choice for the construction of scenic walls, especially in bathrooms and kitchens, as well as for striking outdoor floors. We extract this stone in Brazil and then it travels directly to our production headquarters: our artisans process the raw quartzite blocks, and thanks to our cut-to-size service we can produce any cut and shape. We offer limitless creativity and customisation opportunities.

What is one of the most ambitious projects you have worked on involving the use of quartzite? Our quartzite is used to create the halls of major hotels, building facades, kitchen and living tops in luxury residences. One of the most prestigious projects we worked on is the renovation of the Santa Giulia neighbourhood in Milan: this square, which now features a work by Arnaldo Pomodoro, is paved with our quartzite.

Left: the octagonal skylight in the Marmi Lanza headquarters. Below: celebrative bottles produced for the sixtieth anniversary of the company s foundation.

The scenic impact of a natural stone is a status symbol, In addition to this, we offer completely customised cuts and finishes in order to create artworks travelling all over the world.

INTERVIEW INTERVIEW

WATCH THE VIDEO produced for the sixtieth

anniversary of Marmi Lanza