{"id":2808,"date":"2026-03-09T09:17:51","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T09:17:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/entwurf.raddato.de\/newsletter-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-08-24T19:40:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T19:40:38","slug":"newsletter-2026","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.raddato.com\/en\/newsletter-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Newsletter 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>R&#038;R Projektmanagement GmbH<\/h1>\n<h1>2026 Newsletter<span class=\"uk-text-primary\">.<\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<p><span>Here you\u2019ll get current insights into our projects, developments and services related to natural stone, installation, renovation as well as technical planning and supervision. We regularly inform about new references, practical solutions and relevant topics from architecture, construction and operations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Stay up to date and receive all important news directly in your inbox \u2013 clear, compact and reliable.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"#June2026\">June 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>What June Had to Say About Natural Stone<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"#May2026\">May 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>How do you find the right natural stone for a project?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"#April2026\">April 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Natural stone is getting a passport.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"#March2026\">March 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Natural stone is never neutral What Mies, Loos and Zaha Hadid understood about natural stone<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"#February2026\">February 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The White Stone Paradox<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"#January2026\">January 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Is your design made for people or for likes?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr>\n<h2><a href=\"#July2026\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family: 'Playfair Display', serif; font-size: 27px; color: #941919;\">July 2026<\/p>\n<p><\/a><\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Bild-24.08.26-um-21.14-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h2>154 Hotel Rooms: Replacement or Restoration?<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>About natural stone, restoration, hospitality, and the art of not tearing out existing value too soon.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">A guide for everyone shaping the future with natural stone.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">We are currently restoring natural stone surfaces in 154 rooms of a five-star hotel.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">At first, that sounds like a number. Like workflows, schedules, samples, material approvals, follow-up questions, small surprises, and all those wonderful human rituals with which projects try to appear organized.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">But in practice, projects like this reveal something very quickly:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Restoration is not the easy alternative to new construction.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It is not a small cosmetic procedure where you replace a few surfaces, install new fittings, make the floor look nice, and then pretend the building just had a short wellness treatment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Restoration is often more honest.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It shows what a building has endured over the years. Which decisions worked. Which materials were truly resilient. Which details only looked elegant on paper and, in daily operation, lasted about as long as New Year\u2019s resolutions in January.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">This becomes especially visible in hospitality.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">A hotel room is not a showroom.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It is used, cleaned, entered, left, cleaned again, used again. Every day. By people who rarely stop to wonder whether a surface is sensitive, whether a joint was planned correctly, or whether a material is quietly having a personal crisis once water, cosmetics, cleaning agents, and rolling suitcases appear at the same time.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">And that is exactly why the question changes.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It is no longer only about which natural stone looks beautiful.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It is about which natural stone makes long-term sense in an existing building.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Restoration is no longer a side topic<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">In Europe, we are facing a very simple but uncomfortable fact:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Most of our buildings already exist.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">According to the European Commission, around 85 percent of buildings in the EU were built before 2000. Around 75 percent have poor energy performance. At the same time, the annual energy renovation rate in the EU is only around 1 percent.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">That means we love talking about the future, while in reality it has been standing in front of us for decades. Usually with a natural stone floor, worn joints, and an operator who quite understandably wants to know whether it can still be saved.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The same movement is visible in the hotel market.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Yes, Europe is still building new hotels. But a growing share of investment is flowing into existing buildings, conversions, brand changes, modernizations, and repositioning. Renovations and conversions are no longer a side note. They have become a substantial part of hospitality strategy.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">And with that, the material question becomes more demanding.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">In new construction, many things can be planned from the beginning.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">In restoration, the building talks back.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">How much build-up height is available? What does the substrate allow? Which connections remain? Which surfaces are truly damaged? Which materials can be preserved? What needs to be replaced? And at what point does saving money at the beginning turn into a very expensive follow-up problem?<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Buildings are surprisingly honest that way.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Almost unpleasantly honest.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">You open up a surface and you do not get an opinion.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">You get facts.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Unfortunately.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4.png\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>The biggest mistake: calculating natural stone as just a surface<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">In many projects, natural stone is still treated as a simple material item.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">A price per square meter. A sample. A color. A finish. A lead time. Maybe even an edge detail, if things get really adventurous.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">That is not wrong.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It is just not enough.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Especially in restoration, and particularly in hospitality, natural stone has to be read differently:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">as part of a long-term investment decision.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Because a stone that impresses on day one but reacts sensitively after only a short period of use, is difficult to clean, or does not fit the operational reality of the building is not a high-quality material concept.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It is a beautifully packaged follow-up problem.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">And follow-up problems have one unpleasant characteristic.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">They do not disappear just because they look good.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>The worst case is not \u201cnatural stone\u201d<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The worst case is this:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Replacement, although restoration would have been possible.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">That is a distinction that is far too rarely examined properly in practice.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">When natural stone has become dull, scratched, stained, or uneven in appearance, the reflex is often quick:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\u201cThen we\u2019ll just replace it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">That sounds decisive.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Almost professional.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Sometimes it is the right decision. But sometimes it is simply expensive.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Natural stone is not carpet. It is not a decorative vinyl covering. It is not a surface that automatically has to be removed after one usage cycle because it has reached its social expiration date.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Many natural stone surfaces can be ground, cleaned, repaired, refinished, treated, and brought back into a technically and visually convincing condition.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Not always.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">But more often than many people think.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">And this is where the real calculation begins.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Not: What does new stone cost?<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">But: What does it cost to give up an existing surface too early?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>A model calculation: 154 hotel rooms<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Let us take a simple, conservative model calculation.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Not a quotation. Not a substitute for a technical assessment. Just an economic framework, so the topic does not disappear into that popular fog where projects like to lose their budgets.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Assumption:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">154 hotel rooms 5 m\u00b2 of natural stone surface per room = 770 m\u00b2 of natural stone surface in total<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">For loss of use, we use a conservative assumption for a high-end city hotel:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\u20ac250 assumed room rate per night 75 percent assumed occupancy = \u20ac187.50 calculated loss per blocked room night<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">We then compare two scenarios.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Option A: Restoration of the existing natural stone surfaces<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Depending on the condition, this may include:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Grinding, cleaning, repairing small defects, refinishing the surface, impregnation, or an adapted maintenance concept.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Assumed cost range: \u20ac65 to \u20ac125 per m\u00b2<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">For 770 m\u00b2, this results in:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\u20ac50,050 to \u20ac96,250<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">In addition, restoration usually creates less downtime. Let us conservatively assume 0.5 to 1.5 days of restricted use per room.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">With a calculated loss of \u20ac187.50 per blocked room night, this results in:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">154 rooms \u00d7 \u20ac187.50 \u00d7 0.5 days = \u20ac14,437.50<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">154 rooms \u00d7 \u20ac187.50 \u00d7 1.5 days = \u20ac43,312.50<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Additional loss of use for restoration: approximately \u20ac14,438 to \u20ac43,313<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Total framework for restoration: \u20ac64,488 to \u20ac139,563<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Option B: Replacement of the natural stone surfaces<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Replacing natural stone surfaces usually involves more than just new slabs.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Naturally.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">That would be too easy, and construction sites do not appear to be places where simplicity is particularly welcome.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Replacement often includes:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Removal, protection measures, disposal, substrate inspection, possible repairs, waterproofing, new material procurement, cutting, edges, installation, grouting, final cleaning, handover, and additional coordination during ongoing hotel operations.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Assumed cost range: \u20ac300 to \u20ac650 per m\u00b2<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">For 770 m\u00b2, this results in:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\u20ac231,000 to \u20ac500,500<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">In addition, replacement creates significantly more downtime. Let us assume 4 to 7 days of restricted use per room.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">With a calculated loss of \u20ac187.50 per blocked room night, this results in:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">154 rooms \u00d7 \u20ac187.50 \u00d7 4 days = \u20ac115,500<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">154 rooms \u00d7 \u20ac187.50 \u00d7 7 days = \u20ac202,125<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Additional loss of use for replacement: approximately \u20ac115,500 to \u20ac202,125<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Total framework for replacement: \u20ac346,500 to \u20ac702,625<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>The difference<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">In this model calculation, the economic difference between restoration and replacement is approximately:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\u20ac207,000 to \u20ac638,000<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">And that is only the direct economic view.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It does not fully include:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">additional construction logistics during ongoing operations, more noise, more dust, more coordination, longer blocked periods, material availability, possible batch differences in new stone, risks in the substrate, disposal, site management, claims potential, and the beautiful human experience that every opened building component usually wants to tell a little story from the past.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Usually not a good one.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Why restoration is often the smarter decision<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Restoration is not automatically better.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">That would be just as wrong as claiming that replacement is automatically more premium.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The better question is:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Which decision preserves the value of the building with the least intervention and the best long-term result?<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Restoration is often reasonable when the natural stone is fundamentally suitable, the substrate is stable, the damage is superficial or technically treatable, and the use can be managed again through the right finish and maintenance concept.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Replacement makes sense when the stone was technically wrong from the beginning, when slabs are hollow, when moisture or waterproofing issues exist, when cracks have structural causes, or when the use of the space has changed so much that the existing material decision is no longer viable.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The problem is not replacement.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The problem is replacement as a reflex. Because reflexes are sometimes useful in medicine. In project calculation, they are usually expensive.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2.png\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Hospitality is the stress test for material decisions<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">In a private bathroom, a sensitive surface can work for many years if the users understand and maintain it properly.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">In a hotel room, different rules apply.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Here, design is not the only factor.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Operations decide.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Housekeeping has time limits. Guests have not read a user manual for natural stone. Cosmetics, water, shoes, suitcases, cleaning agents, and everyday wear all meet the same surfaces again and again.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">And with 154 rooms, every small decision is multiplied.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">A wrong finish is no longer a small problem.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It is the same problem 154 times, just with changing room numbers.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">That is the moment when natural stone consulting no longer sounds like \u201cchoosing beautiful samples.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It starts sounding like risk management.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Less romantic.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Much more useful.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>The price per square meter is rarely the full truth<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">In natural stone projects, people often talk about the price per square meter very early.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Naturally.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Numbers create certainty. Or at least the illusion of certainty, which is very popular in construction.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">But the price per square meter is only the part of the truth that shouts the loudest at the beginning.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The real calculation includes more:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">How long should the surface perform? How intensively will it be used? How will it be cleaned? Which finish fits the operational reality? Can the stone be refinished later? Are replacement slabs available? How easily can the surface be partially restored? How does the material react to water, acids, oils, cosmetics, or cleaning agents? What role does the surface play in the perception of the property? And what does it cost if the decision has to be corrected after three years?<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">These are not side issues.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">This is the actual material decision.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>What Facility Management has long understood<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Facility Management does not see a building as a finished image.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Facility Management sees a building as an ongoing operation.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">That may be less glamorous, but it is usually closer to the truth.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">A material that looks impressive in a rendering but is difficult to clean in everyday use does not become better just because it looked elegant on the presentation slide.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">A floor that appears calm in the sample but shows every mark across the full surface does not become more forgiving just because someone called it \u201chigh-end.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">A finish that does not fit the cleaning concept will explain every day that it was the wrong decision.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">That is exactly why natural stone belongs early in the planning process.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">But not only as a beautiful hand sample that is approved once and then disappears from project communication.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">A material decision has to be carried through the project:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">through format, thickness, finish, substrate, detailing, maintenance, lead time, and future use.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">If the topic only returns at five minutes to midnight, when interior fit-out is already breathing down everyone\u2019s neck, the schedule is getting nervous, and someone says:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\u201cWe just need the stone quickly now,\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">then it is often no longer a material decision.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It is damage control with a natural stone appearance.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\u201cQuickly\u201d and natural stone are an interesting combination.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Rather like fire safety and spontaneity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3.png\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Restoration is also a question of resources<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">There is one more point that will become increasingly important in high-quality projects:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">resources.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Construction and demolition waste accounts for more than one third of total waste generated in the EU. That does not mean nothing should ever be replaced. But it does mean that the decision has to become more conscious.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">If an existing natural stone can technically be preserved, if it can be refinished, if it can receive a new surface treatment, if it can function again through cleaning, grinding, or partial replacement, then this is not only economically interesting.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It is also a form of respect for material.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">And perhaps that is one of the most underestimated strengths of natural stone.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It does not necessarily age badly.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It ages visibly.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">That is a difference.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Some traces are damage. Others are use. Others are simply the reality of a building that was not only photographed, but actually lived in and operated.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The skill lies in knowing the difference.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>The new calculation<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Perhaps this is the real shift.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Restoration forces us to calculate more honestly.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Not only: What does the stone cost?<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">But: What does a wrong decision cost?<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">What does a surface cost that does not fit the operation? What does a sample approval cost that never simulated real use? What does a material cost that looks convincing but was never technically understood? What does replacement cost if restoration would have been enough? And what does restoration cost if replacement was actually necessary?<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Because this, too, is part of the truth:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Restoration is not always the better solution, but it must be assessed before replacement is thrown into the room as the default answer.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Especially with natural stone.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Especially in hospitality.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Especially in existing buildings.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">With 154 hotel rooms, this truth becomes quite clear.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">A good material decision stays quiet.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">A bad one reports back every day.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Usually not with flowers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1.png\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Conclusion<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Natural stone in restoration projects is not a decorative afterthought.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It is part of a long-term operational and investment decision.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Anyone who selects natural stone only by color, price, and availability is calculating too narrowly. Anyone who evaluates it by use, maintenance, restoration potential, replacement risk, availability, and long-term impact makes a different decision.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Not always the cheapest one.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">But often the smarter one.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">And at a time when existing buildings, hospitality, ESG, construction costs, and operations are moving closer together, this kind of material decision becomes decisive.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The future of building does not lie only in the new.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It also lies in understanding the existing better.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Because what was merely bought will eventually be replaced.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">What was understood will be preserved.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2><a href=\"#June2026\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family: 'Playfair Display', serif; font-size: 27px; color: #941919;\">June 2026<\/p>\n<p><\/a><\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/STONE-DESIGN-NEWSLETTER-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h2>What June Had to Say About Natural Stone<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>From Graz to Nuremberg to the Mini World Cup: Why natural stone needs a bigger stage<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">A guide for everyone shaping the future with natural stone.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Some months are simply full.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Not only with appointments, but also with impressions, conversations, observations and thoughts that only reveal their real meaning a few days later.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">June was exactly that kind of month for me.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It took me to Graz, to the WKO Steiermark.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">To Stone+tec in Nuremberg.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">To lectures, conversations, award-winning projects and well-known figures from the natural stone industry.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">And in the end, even to a Mini World Cup in Stuttgart, which at first glance has little to do with natural stone, and at second glance perhaps more than one might think.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Because at the core, all of these moments revolved around the same question:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>How does the future emerge?<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">In architecture.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">In craftsmanship.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">In material decisions.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">In the industry.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">And sometimes also where children stand on a football pitch, simply enjoying what they are doing.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">For natural stone, this question is more important than many people think.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Because natural stone has a future. But that future will not happen automatically simply because the material is beautiful, durable and natural. It will only happen if we speak about it better, make decisions about it earlier, and no longer treat it as a decorative final item in a project.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Graz-Banner-Kopie.png\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>On 12 June, I had the opportunity to speak at the WKO Steiermark in Graz as part of the Forum Zukunft Naturstein, organised by Stein erleben.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The forum was held under the guiding theme:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Knowledge, Design &amp; Investment<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">These three words already describe quite well what natural stone is really about.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Knowledge.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Because natural stone must not only be looked at. It must be understood.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Design.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Because a stone is not simply beige, grey, black or dramatic. It brings spatial impact, light, surface, proportion, use and ageing into a project.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Investment.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Because a wrong natural stone decision rarely looks expensive immediately. In most cases, it becomes expensive later.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>The title of my lecture was:<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\u201cRethinking Natural Stone \u2013 Material Decisions for Architects and Investors\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">In reality, it could also have been called:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Why natural stone must not be the last decorative decision in a project.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Because this is exactly what I see again and again in practice.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">A natural stone sample is often on the table surprisingly early.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It is liked. It fits the visualisation. It confirms the desired atmosphere.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">And very quickly, the impression arises that the material decision has already been made.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">But this is exactly the deceptive moment.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Visually, a stone can convince very early and very well, while the actual evaluation often comes much later.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">After fire protection, structural planning, budgets, deadlines, tendering, awarding of contracts and technical coordination, the question suddenly arises whether this material truly fits the intended use.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The surface.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The level of wear.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The cleaning requirements.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The slip resistance.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The availability.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The operation.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The long-term value retention.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">And then things become tight.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Either a new material has to be found under time pressure. Or one holds on to the originally beautiful sample and hopes that everything will work out somehow.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">In both cases, the sampling did not happen too early.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The real decision happened too late.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>For me, Graz was not just a lecture date.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It was one of those moments when you realise that a topic has been growing for years.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">For many years, I have seen in projects that natural stone is often decided too late. People believe that the material question can wait until the design is finalised. Until the budget is set. Until the tender is prepared. Until the client has approved a direction.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">That is understandable.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">But it is not always wise.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Because natural stone is not a product that can simply be selected from a catalogue at the end.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Natural stone is a system.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">A system of geology, quarrying, selection, processing, surface, format, installation, maintenance, use and ageing.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">And when this system is considered too late, the decision becomes narrower. Not freer.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">At that point, one is no longer really deciding.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">One is only reacting.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">To schedules. To budgets. To availability. To samples that can be sent quickly. To offers that look attractive at first glance.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">But good material decisions are not made under pressure.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">They are made through early questions.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">What is the space supposed to achieve?<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">How will the surface be used?<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Which finish makes sense?<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Which maintenance is realistic?<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">What level of technical stress is to be expected?<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">How will the material change over the years?<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">And does the selected natural stone fit not only the design, but also the operation?<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">This is particularly crucial for architects and investors.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Because natural stone is rarely just design.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It is also responsibility.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Bild-02.07.26-um-14.55.jpeg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>The programme in Graz showed very clearly how broadly natural stone must be considered today.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Hermann Graser spoke about building with natural stone between tradition, innovation and the future.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Reiner Krug spoke about sustainable construction with natural stone.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Margit Vollmert spoke about colour, surface and their effect in architecture.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Ernst Giselbrecht spoke about natural stone in healthcare environments.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Stephanie Annerl spoke about terrazzo from antiquity to the present day.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">And in the subsequent panel discussion with Richard Watzke, it once again became clear that natural stone has long ceased to be merely a surface topic.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It is planning.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It is craftsmanship.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It is architecture.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It is sustainability.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It is maintenance.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It is durability.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">And it is a material that belongs at the decision-making table much earlier again.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Only a few days later, I travelled to Nuremberg for Stone+tec 2026.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">A trade fair is always also a mood board of an industry.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">You see which topics become visible, which companies are investing, which materials attract attention and which technologies are being taken more seriously.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">And also where the industry may still be too quiet.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">This year, Stone+tec showed once again: natural stone is present.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">But visibility alone is not enough.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">A good material needs good communication. Strong craftsmanship needs good explanation.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">And an industry with so much substance cannot rely on the world automatically understanding why natural stone is relevant.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Because it does not.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Anyone speaking about natural stone today is not only competing with other materials.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">They are competing with speed, with renderings, budget pressure, standardisation and surfaces that imitate natural stone.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">And with the idea that a material should primarily be available, affordable and easy to replace.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">This is exactly why natural stone needs more than beautiful samples.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It needs arguments, practical knowledge and projects that show what is possible.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">And it needs people who not only sell it, but are able to explain it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Nuernberg-Banner-Newsletter-Kopie.png\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>One successful lecture at Stone+tec for me was \u201cSteinlust\u201d by Hans Kollhoff.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The title alone said a great deal.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Because alongside technical justification, sustainability arguments and life-cycle costs, natural stone needs exactly that again: Steinlust \u2014 the desire for stone.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">A desire for material.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">For mass.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">For depth.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">For surface.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">For craftsmanship.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">For architectural permanence.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Natural stone is not only a building material that works.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It can give a building dignity.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Calm, weight, presence.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">A kind of permanence that does not need to be loud in order to be felt.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">For me, this moment made visible how important personalities are who do not treat natural stone as a decorative surface, but as an architectural attitude in the best sense.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">These are exactly the kinds of voices that are needed.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Voices that do not explain natural stone only through availability, efficiency and comparability.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Voices that remind us what a material can give to a building:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">depth, calm, presence and permanence.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Another important moment at Stone+tec was the presentation of the German Natural Stone Award 2026.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Awards like this matter because they show what is possible when natural stone is not added to architecture afterwards, but becomes part of the architectural idea itself.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Among the awarded projects were the German Embassy in Vienna by Schulz und Schulz Architekten, using Krastal marble, and the Kureck residential tower in Wiesbaden by Max Dudler, using Dietfurt limestone.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">These are projects in which natural stone does not appear arbitrary.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It contributes to the identity of the building.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">To its calm.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Its durability.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Its urban presence.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The special recognitions also showed how versatile natural stone can be \u2014 from reconstruction to innovation and massive constructive applications. For me, the presence of Bamberger Natursteinwerk Hermann Graser in connection with award-winning projects and the visible work around Zukunft Naturstein was particularly interesting.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Because this is exactly where an important point lies:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Natural stone does not only need tradition.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It needs a future narrative.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">As a serious answer to the question of how we want to build, preserve, restore and design in the future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Between Graz and Nuremberg, one thing became very clear to me again:<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Natural stone deserves a bigger stage.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Hardly any other material combines so much history, durability, beauty and individuality. Natural stone is one of the oldest building materials on our planet \u2014 and at the same time one of the most relevant when we speak about longevity, value retention, natural resources, repairability and true material identity.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Every stone brings something that industrially manufactured surfaces can never achieve:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">geological depth, natural variation, characterful surfaces and a presence that does not need to be staged.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Choosing natural stone is not simply choosing a colour or a pattern.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It means choosing a material with origin.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">With history.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">With technical substance.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">With craftsmanship depth.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">With the ability to equip spaces and give them character.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">And that is exactly why it is so valuable that there is so much expertise in this industry.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Quarries, natural stone companies, processors, planners, consultants, restorers, dealers, architects and craftspeople all bring knowledge that no sample alone can reveal.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">They help find the right material for the right task.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">They advise on surface, use, processing, maintenance, availability and long-term value retention.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Perhaps this is exactly why June was so valuable.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Because it showed that natural stone is a material rich in tradition \u2014 and a building material with a future.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">For architecture.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">For interiors.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">For fa\u00e7ades.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">For public spaces.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">For restoration, existing buildings and new construction.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">For projects that are allowed to remain.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">When natural stone is considered early and with expertise, it can shape projects.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It can give them calm.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Value.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Identity.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Permanence.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>And then there was another very different moment in June.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">@R&amp;R had the opportunity to support the Mini World Cup 2026 in Stuttgart.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">At first glance, this has little to do with natural stone.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">At second glance, perhaps it does.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Because there, too, it is about the future.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Not about buildings, surfaces or material approvals.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It is about children doing something that brings them joy.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">About team spirit, support and the idea that the future does not begin in the abstract, but wherever people are encouraged.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The quiet connection between all these moments in June:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Whether in architecture, craftsmanship or sport \u2014 the future does not emerge through beautiful words.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It emerges when you support something before it has grown big.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2><a href=\"#May2026\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family: 'Playfair Display', serif; font-size: 27px; color: #941919;\">May 2026<\/p>\n<p><\/a><\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1-scaled.png\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h2>How do you find the right natural stone for a project?<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>And why the shortest procurement route is not automatically the smartest decision.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">A guide for professionals shaping tomorrow\u2019s spaces &#8211; with natural stone.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Some time ago, a client said to me:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\u201cWe\u2019ll order the material ourselves. I know someone who knows someone. That will surely make it cheaper.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Does that sound familiar?<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">At first, the thought is understandable. Anyone planning a high-end project naturally looks at budgets, offers, supply routes and potential savings. Especially with natural stone, the idea quickly arises: the closer you get to the source, the better it will automatically be. Or at least cheaper.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">That sentence stayed with me. From the client\u2019s perspective, it&#8217;s absolutely understandable. But it also reveals the exact point: natural stone is often first treated as a procurement question, and only much later as a material decision.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Because the real question is not only: \u201cWhere can we get the stone for less?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The more important question is: \u201cDoes that also lead to a better material decision?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">In high-end projects, natural stone is often discussed through price.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">What does it cost per square metre? Where is the stone located? Does it come from a dealer, an importer or directly from the quarry? Is there a cheaper alternative? Can intermediate steps be avoided?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>These are legitimate questions. But they do not go far enough.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Because the price of a natural stone slab is only one part of the decision. The real value does not arise from procurement alone, but from the question of whether this particular stone is truly right for this particular project.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">For the location. For the use. For the light. For the fabrication. For the maintenance. For the client\u2019s expectations. For many years of operation.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">An expensive stone can be wrong. A more affordable stone can be right. A directly sourced stone can be excellent. And a directly sourced stone can still be a poor decision.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Direct does not automatically mean suitable. Direct does not automatically mean verified. Direct does not automatically mean project-safe. And direct does not automatically mean cheaper.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">At first, it only means one thing: the procurement route is shorter. That can be an advantage. But only if someone is able to assess what is actually being selected there.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">What quality does the block have? How stable is the selection? How strong is the veining? How will the material behave in the intended application? Which surface finish makes sense? Which formats are realistic? Which reserves are needed? How reliable is the possibility of reordering? Who takes responsibility if the slab later does not match the planning, the use or the client\u2019s expectations?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>This is where the difference between procurement and material decision begins.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">A good dealer can be highly valuable in this process.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">They know materials, availability, selections, stock levels and often the specific characteristics of certain quarries. They can secure quality, provide samples, organise supply chains and play an important role in the event of claims or complaints.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Especially because there are thousands of quarries around the world, orientation matters.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Every quarry has its own strengths, limitations, qualities, selections, lead times and fabrication possibilities. No planner, no dealer and no direct buyer knows the entire market completely.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">That is why the direct route to the quarry is not automatically more objective &#8211; and not automatically more economical.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Anyone buying directly ultimately also makes decisions within their own network: from the quarries they know, trust, have had good experiences with or feel well supported by both professionally and organisationally.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">That can make a lot of sense.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>But it is not automatically the best solution for every project.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Because economically, \u201cdirect\u201d is not always the same as \u201cbetter\u201d. A dealer who regularly purchases larger quantities may obtain better conditions, more stable delivery commitments or more reliable reservations for certain materials than a single project that perhaps requires only 500 square metres.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">In addition, there are stock availability, pre-selection, access to samples, claims handling, the ability to reorder and experience with specific qualities.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">So the direct route may be shorter.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">But shorter does not automatically mean cheaper, safer or smarter.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">That is exactly why the question is not dealer or quarry.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It is the quality of the decision.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">A dealer is not automatically independent. A direct buyer is not automatically neutral. A short procurement route is not automatically a better material decision.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">What matters is whether someone considers the project, the intended use, the design ambition, the technical suitability and the later responsibility together.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Because natural stone does not need a romantic procurement story.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Natural stone needs decision security.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Luxury in natural stone is not created by choosing the most expensive stone. Nor is it created by buying as directly as possible.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Luxury emerges when aesthetics, material quality, technical suitability, execution and use are considered together.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The right stone is not always the most spectacular. Not always the most expensive. Not always the rarest. Not always the one sourced through the most direct route.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The right stone is the one that works permanently within the project &#8211; aesthetically, technically and economically.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Especially in high-end real estate, hotels, private residences or representative spaces, the issue is therefore not only procurement. It is responsibility.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Because natural stone is not an interchangeable surface product.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It is a natural material with character, variation, limitations and possibilities. Anyone who evaluates it only by price, origin or availability does not see the full picture.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>And this is precisely where projects become expensive.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Not always at the time of purchase. Often only later.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">When the surface finish does not match the use. When the selection does not match the architectural ambition. When the slabs in place look different than expected. When cleaning and maintenance were not taken into account. When reordering becomes difficult. When technical requirements only become apparent on the construction site.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Then the stone was not necessarily too expensive.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Then the decision was made too cheaply.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Natural stone is an investment decision. Not a pure procurement item.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The best procurement route is therefore not automatically the shortest.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It is the one that leads to the right material decision.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">And that is why the crucial question should not be:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\u201cWhere can we get the stone at the lowest price?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">The question should be:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\u201cWho will help us make the right material decision &#8211; before it becomes expensive?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">Answering this question early on often saves not only money, but also time, coordination, complaints and later compromises.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\"><strong>That is exactly where the real value of a good natural stone decision lies.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2><a href=\"#April2026\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family: 'Playfair Display', serif; font-size: 27px; color: #941919;\">April 2026<\/p>\n<p><\/a><\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2-scaled.png\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h2>Natural stone is getting a passport.<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>And with it, something long taken for granted begins to change:<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    material decisions become traceable.\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    A guide for professionals shaping tomorrow\u2019s spaces \u2013 with natural stone.\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    The conversations I am having at the moment tend to circle around the same themes.<br \/>\n    Prices. Supply chains. Uncertainty.<br \/>\n    That is understandable, because this is where the most visible changes are currently taking place.<br \/>\n    And yet, there is a growing sense that the real shift is happening somewhere else.<br \/>\n    More quietly. Less tangible. But with a far more lasting impact on projects.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>With the Digital Product Passport, this shift begins to take shape.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">What initially appears to be just another technical tool reveals itself, upon closer examination, as a structural intervention in how materials will be evaluated and used in the future.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">A natural stone product will no longer be described or positioned purely through references.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It will be assigned a digital identity, bringing together information on origin, processing, transport, performance and use.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">This information is not intended as an addition.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">It is gradually becoming the basis for decision-making.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>In practice, this represents a change that feels subtle at first \u2013 and is therefore easy to underestimate.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    Until now, many material decisions have been based on experience, trust and design intuition. Samples, references and personal judgement play a central role. This will not disappear.\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    But it will be complemented by a layer that is far more concrete and verifiable.\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    The question of whether a material looks right or fits the concept will no longer be sufficient.\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    What will matter is whether that decision can be understood and justified \u2013 even at a later stage, when questions of use, maintenance or even dismantling arise.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>This is precisely where the relevance for projects begins.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    A digitally documented material does not only influence selection.\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    It reshapes planning and long-term use.\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    Specifications will need to become more precise, because information is no longer optional.\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    Responsibilities along the supply chain will become clearer, because it will be evident where a material originates and who provides which data.\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    At the same time, operators gain a new basis for understanding and evaluating materials during use. Maintenance, care and lifespan can no longer rely solely on experience, but increasingly on documented properties.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>The Digital Product Passport is not an isolated industry topic.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    It is part of a broader regulatory development within the European Union, driven by the European Commission as part of the Ecodesign framework and the Circular Economy strategy. The aim is to make products more transparent across their entire life cycle and therefore more sustainable in their evaluation.\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    Implementation will take place gradually, across different product categories. Construction materials are clearly in focus, even though not all details for natural stone have been fully defined yet.\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    One point is often misunderstood:\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    The Digital Product Passport does not apply only to products manufactured within the EU.\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    It applies to all products placed on the EU market. This means that international supply chains are directly affected. A natural stone from India used in Europe will be subject to the same requirements as material from Italy or Germany.\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    In this way, a European regulation becomes a globally relevant system.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Responsibility for providing data does not lie with a single party.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    It is distributed across the entire value chain. Producers, processors, importers and, in part, distributors will all be required to provide structured information. For planners and clients, this means that such information should not only be available, but actively requested.\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    What emerges from this is a shift that has less to do with the material itself and more with how we handle it.<br \/>\n    A natural stone can be technically excellent and aesthetically convincing.<br \/>\n    If its origin is not clearly documented, if its processing is not traceable, or if its properties are not properly classified, it loses relevance in the decision-making process.<br \/>\n    Not because it is inferior,<br \/>\n    but because it is less tangible.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>In practice, this gap is already visible today.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    Materials are often selected because they are available, because they look right, or because they fit within a certain budget framework. A complete understanding of origin, processing and long-term performance is often only partial.\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    This still works within the current system.\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    The question is: for how much longer.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>The Digital Product Passport does not change this situation abruptly, but it does so consistently.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    It shifts the focus away from pure material impact towards a combination of impact and traceability.\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    And that is where its real significance lies.\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    The key question is not whether this system will come, or how exactly it will be implemented in detail.\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    What matters is how early we begin to think about material decisions within this broader context.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Natural stone has always been an honest material.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    Perhaps that is precisely where the opportunity lies.\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    What exists can be made visible.\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n    It simply requires consistency.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2><a href=\"#March2026\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family: 'Playfair Display', serif; font-size: 27px; color: #941919;\">\n  March 2026\n<\/p>\n<p><\/a><\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2-scaled.png\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h2>Natural stone is never neutral What Mies, Loos and Zaha Hadid understood about natural stone<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>A guide for everyone shaping the future with natural stone<\/h3>\n<div>\n<div style=\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6; color: #333333 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n<p>This newsletter is not a retrospective on great names. It is a look at an uncomfortable truth: natural stone reveals how seriously a design really means it.<\/p>\n<p>Good architecture is not always recognized first by its form.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes, it is recognized by the way<br \/>it handles material.<\/p>\n<p>Natural stone, in particular, is an unforgiving test.<\/p>\n<p>It cannot be staged into meaning.<br \/>It cannot be talked into substance.<br \/>It brings weight into a space.<br \/>Time.<br \/>Resistance.<br \/>And a truth many projects would rather avoid:<\/p>\n<p>Material is never just surface.<\/p>\n<p>Anyone working with natural stone is therefore deciding not only about appearance,<br \/>but about attitude.<\/p>\n<p>And perhaps that is exactly why stone continues to occupy such a singular place in architecture.<\/p>\n<p>Not because it is expensive.<br \/>Not because it looks prestigious.<br \/>Not because it photographs well.<\/p>\n<p>But because it reveals something.<\/p>\n<p>It shows whether a design has discipline.<br \/>Whether it can carry dignity.<br \/>Whether its form has substance.<br \/>Or whether, in the end, nothing remains but surface.<\/p>\n<p>Three architects demonstrate this in radically different ways:<br \/>Mies van der Rohe.<br \/>Adolf Loos.<br \/>Zaha Hadid.<\/p>\n<p>Three attitudes.<br \/>Three languages.<br \/>Three completely different answers to the same question:<\/p>\n<p>What happens when natural stone is allowed to become more than a finish?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Foto-Newsletter-33-und-34-.png\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Mies van der Rohe &#8211; Stone as discipline<\/h3>\n<div>\n<div style=\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6; color: #333333 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n<p>With Mies van der Rohe, stone is never an accessory.<\/p>\n<p>It orders.<\/p>\n<p>In the Barcelona Pavilion, natural stone does not appear as a decorative claim, but as a calm and precisely placed presence. Travertine, marble and onyx do not occupy the space to demand attention. They structure it. They steady it. They create that quiet authority which only emerges when material is given room to speak without interruption.<\/p>\n<p>That may be Mies\u2019s real strength.<\/p>\n<p>He does not show how to make stone spectacular.<br \/>He shows how to let it work in silence.<\/p>\n<p>No overstatement.<br \/>No decorative pathos.<br \/>No fear of surface.<\/p>\n<p>Only material.<br \/>Light.<br \/>Proportion.<br \/>Jointing.<\/p>\n<p>And the discipline to remove everything that interferes.<\/p>\n<p>That remains radical to this day.<\/p>\n<p>Because many projects want natural stone to become an event immediately.<br \/>Mies does something more difficult:<\/p>\n<p>He allows it to feel inevitable.<\/p>\n<p>And that is precisely what makes it powerful.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps this is the first uncomfortable lesson of the material:<br \/>not every high-quality stone needs a spectacular detail.<br \/>Sometimes it only needs a design strong enough not to comment on it constantly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/mies-5255085015_f7c3738fdd_b.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Adolf Loos -Stone as dignity<\/h3>\n<div>\n<div style=\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6; color: #333333 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n<p>With Adolf Loos, the question of material becomes sharper.<\/p>\n<p>Loos was not against impact.<br \/>He was against deception.<\/p>\n<p>He mistrusted everything that merely simulated meaning.<br \/>Everything that decorated where substance was missing.<br \/>Everything that replaced material instead of taking it seriously.<\/p>\n<p>That is exactly why his use of natural stone still matters.<\/p>\n<p>At the Looshaus in Vienna, this becomes unmistakably clear: marble below, restraint above. No decorative excess, no pleasing gesture, no fa\u00e7ade seeking approval. Instead, a base of material dignity, and above it, an almost provocative plainness.<\/p>\n<p>This attitude becomes even more concentrated in the Loosbar.<\/p>\n<p>Within the smallest of spaces, it achieves what many large-scale projects fail to reach: atmosphere through consequence. Marble columns. Stone flooring. Onyx. Mirrors. Wood. Density. Tension. No element is there by accident. Nothing is trying to look luxurious.<\/p>\n<p>It is luxurious because material, space and proportion belong together.<\/p>\n<p>And this is precisely the point many still miss:<\/p>\n<p>Luxury is not decoration.<br \/>Luxury is consequence.<\/p>\n<p>Not one more gesture.<br \/>Not one more effect.<br \/>Not one more supposedly noble surface that, in truth, only conceals insecurity.<\/p>\n<p>But the decision to take real material so seriously<br \/>that nothing cheap can be added to it anymore.<\/p>\n<p>That is uncomfortable.<br \/>But true:<\/p>\n<p>Expensive stone does not heal weak design<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1779870_Vienna_LoosBar-76-web.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Zaha Hadid &#8211; Stone as movement <\/h3>\n<div>\n<div style=\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6; color: #333333 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n<p>And then there is Zaha Hadid.<\/p>\n<p>Here, stone does not become still.<br \/>Here, it begins to move.<\/p>\n<p>Or at least, it seems to.<\/p>\n<p>Zaha Hadid did not treat natural stone as historical weight, but as a material that could be translated into a new spatial language. Not rigid. Not merely dignified. Not simply monumental. But fluid, transformative, almost sculptural.<\/p>\n<p>That is exactly where her relevance lies.<\/p>\n<p>Because she contradicts an old misunderstanding:<br \/>that natural stone must always mean calm, heaviness and tradition.<\/p>\n<p>No.<\/p>\n<p>It can also carry tension.<br \/>It can generate dynamism.<br \/>It can articulate the future.<\/p>\n<p>In projects such as Stone Towers, this becomes visible. Stone does not appear as a nostalgic reference, but as an active surface whose identity shifts constantly through relief, depth, light and shadow. In the studio\u2019s sculptural work as well, stone becomes more than mass. It becomes movement held in condensed form.<\/p>\n<p>That sounds poetic.<\/p>\n<p>But technically, it is brutally demanding.<\/p>\n<p>Because the freer the form,<br \/>the more uncompromising the understanding behind it must be.<\/p>\n<p>Planning.<br \/>Fabrication.<br \/>Tolerances.<br \/>Junctions.<br \/>Light.<br \/>Execution.<\/p>\n<p>When that precision is missing, vision turns into scenery very quickly.<\/p>\n<p>And perhaps that is the second uncomfortable truth:<br \/>not every expressive stone gesture is progress.<br \/>Some of it is simply poorly controlled effect.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/stone-towers-zaha-hadid-architects-main-image.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>What it means now<\/h3>\n<div>\n<div style=\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6; color: #333333 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n<p>Mies, Loos and Zaha are not interesting because their names signal cultural literacy.<\/p>\n<p>They matter because they understood something fundamental:<\/p>\n<p>Natural stone is not an interchangeable finish.<\/p>\n<p>With Mies, it orders space.<br \/>With Loos, it carries dignity.<br \/>With Zaha, it sets form in motion.<\/p>\n<p>But for contemporary projects, the her real question lies elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p>Not: Which stone looks good?<br \/>But: Is the material truly being thought through?<\/p>\n<p>In the selection.<br \/>In the detail.<br \/>In the build-up.<br \/>In the jointing.<br \/>In the light.<br \/>In the use.<br \/>In maintenance.<br \/>In long-term value retention.<\/p>\n<p>That is exactly where many natural stone projects still fail today.<\/p>\n<p>Not because of the stone itself.<br \/>But because of the separation between design and reality.<br \/>Between concept and operation.<br \/>Between surface and system.<\/p>\n<p>A material can look outstanding as a sample<br \/>and fail in everyday use.<\/p>\n<p>Not because natural stone is problematic.<br \/>But because no one took responsibility for thinking selection, technical detailing, execution and future use together.<\/p>\n<p>And this, in my view, is where real quality begins.<\/p>\n<p>Not with the beautiful slab.<br \/>But with the question of whether a project wants merely to show the stone<br \/>or actually understand it.<\/p>\n<p>In high-end interiors, existing buildings, hospitality environments and representative properties, this becomes visible very quickly. That is where it is decided whether natural stone merely creates an impression &#8211; or carries quality over time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Closing thought<\/h3>\n<div>\n<div style=\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6; color: #333333 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\">\n<p>Anyone who wants to integrate natural stone convincingly today needs more than material sensitivity.<\/p>\n<p>They need an understanding of how selection, detailing, execution and future use interact.<\/p>\n<p>Because that is exactly where it is decided whether stone merely creates an impression &#8211; or carries lasting quality.<\/p>\n<p>Because in the end, natural stone does not only shape spaces.<br \/>It reveals the standard behind them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2><a href=\"#February2026\">February 2026<\/a><\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<h2>The White Stone Paradox<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>\u201cLet\u2019s just go with white\u201d<\/h3>\n<div>\n<div style=\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6; color: #333333 !important;\">\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\">That\u2019s the sentence that sounds like safety in meetings and often turns into follow-up costs on site.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1.5em;\">Because white isn\u2019t a color. White is an amplifier. It amplifies light, joint patterns, and every decision you wanted to postpone. And that\u2019s exactly why a white natural stone is never just a material, it\u2019s an operating system. (You can ignore it. But it won\u2019t ignore you back.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>The Truth<\/h3>\n<div>\n<div style=\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.6; color: #333333 !important;\">\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 1em;\">White natural stones are bought as neutrality. In reality, they work like a microphone. They make audible what used to be only quietly wrong.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 1em;\">Raking light reveals flatness or the lack of it. Acids make polished surfaces more honest than we\u2019d like (think: etching). And real-life operation (people, cleaning routines, time) turns design into either elegance or patina with excuses.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 1.5em;\">The most common mistake isn\u2019t choosing the wrong stone. The most common mistake is treating white like a decorative color.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>The Decision<\/h3>\n<div>\n<div style=\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6; color: #333333 !important;\">\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\">At the core, you have three paths:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1.5em;\">\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 0.5em;\">Just white. Quickly decided. Later explained.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 0.5em;\">White like in the rendering. Works\u2026 until daylight, real use, and real cleaning products move in.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 0.5em;\">White as a system. You define use, finish, substrate, joints, and maintenance upfront and white feels like luxury instead of risk.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important;\">Luxury is rarely expensive. Most of the time, it simply means: thinking early instead of paying later.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>The Discovery<\/h3>\n<div>\n<div style=\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6; color: #333333 !important;\">\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\">White isn\u2019t one category. It\u2019s three different games, for example:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>THASSOS Radical Purity<\/h3>\n<div>\n<div style=\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; color: #333333 !important;\">\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\">\n        <span style=\"color: #333333 !important;\">Known for its bright, sparkling whiteness and strong light reflection. If you choose Thassos, you choose: maximum calm, maximum visibility of substrate and joints. A surface that reads more like \u201clight\u201d than \u201cpattern\u201d. <\/span><br \/>\n        <em style=\"color: #333333 !important;\">Risk note: Thassos doesn\u2019t forgive. It documents. Very neatly.<\/em>\n    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>VOLAKAS Controlled Movement<\/h3>\n<div>\n<div style=\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; color: #333333 !important;\">\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\">\n        <span style=\"color: #333333 !important;\">Volakas is a Greek (dolomitic) marble with a white background and variable veining. If you choose Volakas, you choose: white with elegance, without sterility; a material that rewards selection.<\/span>\n    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>STATUARIO (Carrara) Iconic Drama<\/h3>\n<div>\n<div style=\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; color: #333333 !important;\">\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\">\n        Statuario is considered one of the most exclusive white marbles. If you choose Statuario, you choose a statement.<br \/>\n        <em style=\"color: #333333 !important;\">Real talk: Statuario without an approval process is like a Porsche without brakes.<\/em>\n    <\/p>\n<hr style=\"border: 0; border-top: 1px solid #eeeeee; margin: 2em 0;\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>How It\u2019s Done<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p style=\"--uk-inverse: initial; margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif;\">This is how white becomes sovereign instead of sensitive:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"--uk-inverse: initial; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding-left: 20px; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif;\">\n<li style=\"--uk-inverse: initial; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\"><span style=\"--uk-inverse: initial;\">Finish:<\/span>\u00a0Polished = maximum brilliance; Honed\/brushed = better real-life performance.<\/li>\n<li style=\"--uk-inverse: initial; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\"><span style=\"--uk-inverse: initial;\">Substrate:<\/span>\u00a0Flatness isn\u2019t technical, it\u2019s visual.<\/li>\n<li style=\"--uk-inverse: initial; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\"><span style=\"--uk-inverse: initial;\">Joints:<\/span>\u00a0White turns joints into either elegance or noise.<\/li>\n<li style=\"--uk-inverse: initial; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\"><span style=\"--uk-inverse: initial;\">Maintenance:<\/span>\u00a0Etching isn\u2019t dirt, it\u2019s chemistry. Plan for it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr style=\"--uk-inverse: initial; overflow: visible; margin: 1.5em 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif; height: 1px; background: #e0e0e0;\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>White Stone Decision Matrix<\/h3>\n<div>\n<div style=\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; color: #333333 !important;\">\n<ol style=\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 1.5em;\">\n<li style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\">How intense is the usage?<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\">How much raking light hits the surface?<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\">How much aging can the surface tolerate?<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\">Is there a maintenance concept?<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\">Are selection and approval planned?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>The Uncomfortable Truth<\/h3>\n<div>\n<div style=\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; color: #333333 !important;\">\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\">\u201cWhite stones are sensitive\u201d is often just a polite way of saying:<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\">\u201cWe planned them wrong.\u201d White doesn\u2019t fail because it isn\u2019t beautiful. White fails because structure was missing. And in high-end projects, structure is not optional.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1.5em;\">It\u2019s the difference between luxury and complaints.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2><a href=\"#January2026\">January 2026<\/a><\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Naturstein Marmor R&#038;R Raddato Projektmanagement GmbH\"><\/p>\n<h2>Is your design made for people or for likes?<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>You\u2019re not working on rooms.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<div style=\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; color: #333333 !important;\">\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\">You\u2019re working on states of being. And you know the situation:<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\">The space is finished. Budget was not the issue. Natural stone, fixtures, wood, textiles, everything top shelf. The client stands there, looks around, nods politely\u2026 and emotionally, very little happens. No exhale. No \u201cI want to stay here.\u201d No warmth. And you can sense it: without being able to explain it, the client quietly takes a step back \u2013 internally.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\">Then comes the sentence that keeps you reliably alert: \u201cIt\u2019s beautiful. But something doesn\u2019t feel right.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\">And that\u2019s usually when the familiar rescue plan begins: a shade warmer, one more rug, a different textile, a new object \u2013 as if a missing feeling could be filled like a styling gap.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\">And that\u2019s exactly why this uncomfortable question is worth asking:<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\">\n        Would you still choose this design the same way if no one could photograph it, post it, or rate it? If it were only about the experience. About being there. About how the space feels in the body. About the nervous system.\n    <\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\">Many high-end interiors don\u2019t fail because of budget. They fail because of a quiet mix-up:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 1.5em;\">\n<li style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\">You build value \u2013 and expect warmth.<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\">You build perfection \u2013 and hope for closeness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>The conflict: when \u201cexclusive\u201d doesn\u2019t automatically mean \u201cinviting\u201d<\/h3>\n<div>\n<div style=\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; color: #333333 !important;\">\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\">You know these spaces: everything is perfect on paper. Rare materials, big names, flawless execution \u2013 and still, something is missing. That \u201cyes.\u201d That \u201cI can be here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\">Because people don\u2019t experience spaces like catalogs. They scan unconsciously: Am I safe here? Can I move? Can I leave traces? Can I breathe?<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1.5em;\">\n        And this is exactly where natural stone becomes interesting \u2013 not as a prestige material, but as a psychological tool. Because natural stone carries something many interiors lack:<br \/>\n        <span style=\"color: #333333 !important;\">truth<\/span>. It isn\u2019t perfect \u2013 and that\u2019s precisely why it can feel credible.\n    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>The bet no one expects<\/h3>\n<div>\n<div style=\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; color: #333333 !important;\">\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\">\n        The real bet is: <style=\"color: #333333 !important;\">admiration or belonging?<\/strong>\n    <\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1.5em;\">\n        Admiration works through distance. Through \u201cplease don\u2019t touch.\u201d Belonging works through permission. Through \u201cyou can relax.\u201d Through a surface that allows closeness.\n    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>The crash: when perfection eats warmth<\/h3>\n<div>\n<div style=\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; color: #333333 !important;\">\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1.5em;\">\n        <span style=\"color: #333333 !important;\">Perfection looks confident in pictures. In real life it can trigger something else: vigilance. A room that allows no mistakes in every detail often does the same to its occupants: it allows no mistakes.<\/span>\n    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>Why touch plays the hidden lead role<\/h3>\n<div>\n<div style=\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; color: #333333 !important;\">\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\">\n        The body is faster than the mind. The same stone can show up like two completely different personalities. One says: \u201cI\u2019m gala.\u201d The other says: \u201cI\u2019m home.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1.5em;\">\n        Is your design a place where people are allowed to live, or a place where they have to behave? Sometimes you need a material that quietly says:<br \/>\n        <span style=\"color: #333333 !important;\">\u201cYou\u2019re allowed to be here.\u201d<\/span>\n    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>The thing about curves<\/h3>\n<div>\n<div style=\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; color: #333333 !important;\">\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\">Curves aren\u2019t just form. They\u2019re a message. They remove sharpness from a space.<\/p>\n<ul style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1em; padding-left: 1.5em;\">\n<li style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\">A sharp edge says: \u201cStop.\u201d<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\">A radius, a soft transition says: \u201cCome closer.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1.5em;\">And suddenly it makes sense why some rooms don\u2019t feel warm\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h3>Your Partner for Natural Stone Projects<br \/>&#8211; Consultation, Care, and Perfection.<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/cta-newsletter.png\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<h2>Let\u2019s talk Stone<\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Do you design or manage premium natural stone surfaces? Let\u2019s talk about your project.. about durability, care concepts and an aesthetic that doesn\u2019t just catch the eye\u2026 but stays.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:service(@)stone.management\" data-wplink-edit=\"true\"><strong>Message me here<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>R&#038;R PROJEKTMANAGEMENT GMBH<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.raddato.com\/kontakt-de\/\">Contact Us<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>2026<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"#July2026\">July 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>154 Hotel Rooms: Replacement or Restoration?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"#June2026\">June 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>What June Had to Say About Natural Stone<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"#May2026\">May 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>How do you find the right natural stone for a project?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"#April2026\">April 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Natural stone is getting a passport.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"#March2026\">March 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Natural stone is never neutral What Mies, Loos and Zaha Hadid understood about natural stone<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"#February2026\">February 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The White Stone Paradox<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"#January2026\">January 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Is your design made for people or for likes?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"#talk\">Let&#8217;s talk Stone<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>More expertise<span class=\"uk-text-primary\">.<\/span><br \/> More project efficiency<span class=\"uk-text-primary\">.<\/span><br \/> More natural stone knowledge<span class=\"uk-text-primary\">.<\/span><\/h2>\n<div><b>Become part of the Stone Insider Community<\/b><\/p>\n<p>By registering, we offer guidance and access to specialist content, newsletter updates, knowledge and decision-making aids.<br \/>\nThe mailing list serves to pass on relevant information in a targeted manner to interested readers and specialists who make decisions and bear responsibility.<\/p>\n<p>Expert knowledge<br \/>\nExclusive content<br \/>\nAccess to the full version<\/p>\n<p><b>Activate your access now:<\/b><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><br \/>\n<!-- {\"type\":\"layout\",\"children\":[{\"name\":\"leistungen\",\"type\":\"section\",\"props\":{\"animation\":\"slide-left-small\",\"animation_delay\":false,\"image\":\"wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/RR-raddato.png\",\"image_effect\":\"parallax\",\"image_parallax_bgx\":\"-300,-300\",\"image_position\":\"top-center\",\"media_visibility\":\"l\",\"padding_bottom\":\"xlarge\",\"padding_top\":\"xlarge\",\"style\":\"default\",\"title_breakpoint\":\"xl\",\"title_position\":\"top-left\",\"title_rotation\":\"left\",\"vertical_align\":\"\",\"width\":\"xlarge\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"row\",\"props\":{\"margin_bottom\":\"xlarge\",\"margin_top\":\"remove\",\"width\":\"small\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"width_medium\":\"1-1\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"headline\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"R&R Projektmanagement GmbH\",\"image_align\":\"left\",\"image_margin\":\"xsmall\",\"title_color\":\"primary\",\"title_element\":\"h1\",\"title_style\":\"h6\"}},{\"type\":\"headline\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"2026 Newsletter<span class=\\\"uk-text-primary\\\">.<\/span>\",\"image_align\":\"left\",\"image_margin\":\"xsmall\",\"margin_top\":\"remove\",\"maxwidth\":\"2xlarge\",\"title_element\":\"h1\",\"title_style\":\"heading-large\"}},{\"type\":\"text\",\"props\":{\"column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"content\":\"\n\n<p><span>Here you\u2019ll get current insights into our projects, developments and services related to natural stone, installation, renovation as well as technical planning and supervision. We regularly inform about new references, practical solutions and relevant topics from architecture, construction and operations.<\/span>\n\n<span>Stay up to date and receive all important news directly in your inbox \u2013 clear, compact and reliable.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"text_style\":\"lead\"}}]}]}]},{\"type\":\"section\",\"props\":{\"class\":\"uk-hidden@m\",\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"padding_bottom\":\"large\",\"padding_top\":\"none\",\"style\":\"default\",\"title_breakpoint\":\"xl\",\"title_position\":\"top-left\",\"title_rotation\":\"left\",\"vertical_align\":\"middle\",\"width\":\"default\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"row\",\"children\":[{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"divider\",\"props\":{\"divider_element\":\"hr\"}},{\"type\":\"nav\",\"props\":{\"block_align\":\"center\",\"grid\":\"1\",\"grid_column_gap\":\"medium\",\"grid_row_gap\":\"small\",\"image_vertical_align\":true,\"nav_divider\":false,\"nav_style\":\"secondary\",\"show_image\":true,\"show_meta\":true},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"nav_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"June 2026\",\"icon\":\"calendar\",\"link\":\"#June2026\",\"meta\":\"What June Had to Say About Natural Stone\"}},{\"type\":\"nav_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"May 2026\",\"icon\":\"calendar\",\"link\":\"#May2026\",\"meta\":\"How do you find the right natural stone for a project?\"}},{\"type\":\"nav_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"April 2026\",\"icon\":\"calendar\",\"link\":\"#April2026\",\"meta\":\"Natural stone is getting a passport.\"}},{\"type\":\"nav_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"March 2026\",\"icon\":\"calendar\",\"link\":\"#March2026\",\"meta\":\"Natural stone is never neutral What Mies, Loos and Zaha Hadid understood about natural stone\"}},{\"type\":\"nav_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"February 2026\",\"icon\":\"calendar\",\"link\":\"#February2026\",\"meta\":\"The White Stone Paradox\"}},{\"type\":\"nav_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"January 2026\",\"icon\":\"calendar\",\"link\":\"#January2026\",\"meta\":\"Is your design made for people or for likes?\"}}]},{\"type\":\"divider\",\"props\":{\"divider_element\":\"hr\"}}]}]}]},{\"type\":\"section\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"padding_top\":\"none\",\"style\":\"default\",\"title_breakpoint\":\"xl\",\"title_position\":\"top-left\",\"title_rotation\":\"left\",\"vertical_align\":\"\",\"width\":\"expand\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"row\",\"props\":{\"column_gap\":\"large\",\"layout\":\"3-4,1-4\",\"row_gap\":\"large\",\"width\":\"xlarge\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"width_medium\":\"3-4\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"headline\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"font-family: 'Playfair Display', serif; font-size: 27px; color: #941919;\\\">July 2026<\/p>\n\n\",\"icon\":\"#July2026\",\"id\":\"July2026\",\"image_align\":\"left\",\"image_margin\":\"xsmall\",\"link\":\"#July2026\",\"title_element\":\"h2\",\"title_style\":\"h3\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image\":\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Bild-24.08.26-um-21.14-scaled.jpeg\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"154 Hotel Rooms: Replacement or Restoration?\",\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h2\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">A guide for everyone shaping the future with natural stone.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">We are currently restoring natural stone surfaces in 154 rooms of a five-star hotel.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">At first, that sounds like a number. Like workflows, schedules, samples, material approvals, follow-up questions, small surprises, and all those wonderful human rituals with which projects try to appear organized.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">But in practice, projects like this reveal something very quickly:<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Restoration is not the easy alternative to new construction.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It is not a small cosmetic procedure where you replace a few surfaces, install new fittings, make the floor look nice, and then pretend the building just had a short wellness treatment.<\/p>\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"About natural stone, restoration, hospitality, and the art of not tearing out existing value too soon.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It shows what a building has endured over the years. Which decisions worked. Which materials were truly resilient. Which details only looked elegant on paper and, in daily operation, lasted about as long as New Year\u2019s resolutions in January.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">This becomes especially visible in hospitality.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">A hotel room is not a showroom.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It is used, cleaned, entered, left, cleaned again, used again. Every day. By people who rarely stop to wonder whether a surface is sensitive, whether a joint was planned correctly, or whether a material is quietly having a personal crisis once water, cosmetics, cleaning agents, and rolling suitcases appear at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">And that is exactly why the question changes.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It is no longer only about which natural stone looks beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It is about which natural stone makes long-term sense in an existing building.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"Restoration is often more honest.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">In Europe, we are facing a very simple but uncomfortable fact:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Most of our buildings already exist.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">According to the European Commission, around 85 percent of buildings in the EU were built before 2000. Around 75 percent have poor energy performance. At the same time, the annual energy renovation rate in the EU is only around 1 percent.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">That means we love talking about the future, while in reality it has been standing in front of us for decades. Usually with a natural stone floor, worn joints, and an operator who quite understandably wants to know whether it can still be saved.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The same movement is visible in the hotel market.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Yes, Europe is still building new hotels. But a growing share of investment is flowing into existing buildings, conversions, brand changes, modernizations, and repositioning. Renovations and conversions are no longer a side note. They have become a substantial part of hospitality strategy.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">And with that, the material question becomes more demanding.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">In new construction, many things can be planned from the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">In restoration, the building talks back.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">How much build-up height is available? What does the substrate allow? Which connections remain? Which surfaces are truly damaged? Which materials can be preserved? What needs to be replaced? And at what point does saving money at the beginning turn into a very expensive follow-up problem?<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Buildings are surprisingly honest that way.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Almost unpleasantly honest.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">You open up a surface and you do not get an opinion.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">You get facts.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Unfortunately.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"Restoration is no longer a side topic\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image\":\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4.png\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">In many projects, natural stone is still treated as a simple material item.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">A price per square meter. A sample. A color. A finish. A lead time. Maybe even an edge detail, if things get really adventurous.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">That is not wrong.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It is just not enough.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Especially in restoration, and particularly in hospitality, natural stone has to be read differently:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">as part of a long-term investment decision.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Because a stone that impresses on day one but reacts sensitively after only a short period of use, is difficult to clean, or does not fit the operational reality of the building is not a high-quality material concept.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It is a beautifully packaged follow-up problem.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">And follow-up problems have one unpleasant characteristic.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">They do not disappear just because they look good.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"The biggest mistake: calculating natural stone as just a surface\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The worst case is this:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Replacement, although restoration would have been possible.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">That is a distinction that is far too rarely examined properly in practice.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">When natural stone has become dull, scratched, stained, or uneven in appearance, the reflex is often quick:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\u201cThen we\u2019ll just replace it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">That sounds decisive.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Almost professional.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Sometimes it is the right decision. But sometimes it is simply expensive.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Natural stone is not carpet. It is not a decorative vinyl covering. It is not a surface that automatically has to be removed after one usage cycle because it has reached its social expiration date.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Many natural stone surfaces can be ground, cleaned, repaired, refinished, treated, and brought back into a technically and visually convincing condition.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Not always.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">But more often than many people think.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">And this is where the real calculation begins.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Not: What does new stone cost?<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">But: What does it cost to give up an existing surface too early?<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"The worst case is not \u201cnatural stone\u201d\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Let us take a simple, conservative model calculation.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Not a quotation. Not a substitute for a technical assessment. Just an economic framework, so the topic does not disappear into that popular fog where projects like to lose their budgets.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Assumption:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">154 hotel rooms 5 m\u00b2 of natural stone surface per room = 770 m\u00b2 of natural stone surface in total<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">For loss of use, we use a conservative assumption for a high-end city hotel:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\u20ac250 assumed room rate per night 75 percent assumed occupancy = \u20ac187.50 calculated loss per blocked room night<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">We then compare two scenarios.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"A model calculation: 154 hotel rooms\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Depending on the condition, this may include:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Grinding, cleaning, repairing small defects, refinishing the surface, impregnation, or an adapted maintenance concept.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Assumed cost range: \u20ac65 to \u20ac125 per m\u00b2<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">For 770 m\u00b2, this results in:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\u20ac50,050 to \u20ac96,250<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">In addition, restoration usually creates less downtime. Let us conservatively assume 0.5 to 1.5 days of restricted use per room.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">With a calculated loss of \u20ac187.50 per blocked room night, this results in:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">154 rooms \u00d7 \u20ac187.50 \u00d7 0.5 days = \u20ac14,437.50<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">154 rooms \u00d7 \u20ac187.50 \u00d7 1.5 days = \u20ac43,312.50<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Additional loss of use for restoration: approximately \u20ac14,438 to \u20ac43,313<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Total framework for restoration: \u20ac64,488 to \u20ac139,563<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"Option A: Restoration of the existing natural stone surfaces\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Replacing natural stone surfaces usually involves more than just new slabs.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Naturally.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">That would be too easy, and construction sites do not appear to be places where simplicity is particularly welcome.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Replacement often includes:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Removal, protection measures, disposal, substrate inspection, possible repairs, waterproofing, new material procurement, cutting, edges, installation, grouting, final cleaning, handover, and additional coordination during ongoing hotel operations.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Assumed cost range: \u20ac300 to \u20ac650 per m\u00b2<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">For 770 m\u00b2, this results in:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\u20ac231,000 to \u20ac500,500<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">In addition, replacement creates significantly more downtime. Let us assume 4 to 7 days of restricted use per room.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">With a calculated loss of \u20ac187.50 per blocked room night, this results in:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">154 rooms \u00d7 \u20ac187.50 \u00d7 4 days = \u20ac115,500<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">154 rooms \u00d7 \u20ac187.50 \u00d7 7 days = \u20ac202,125<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Additional loss of use for replacement: approximately \u20ac115,500 to \u20ac202,125<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Total framework for replacement: \u20ac346,500 to \u20ac702,625<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"Option B: Replacement of the natural stone surfaces\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">In this model calculation, the economic difference between restoration and replacement is approximately:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\u20ac207,000 to \u20ac638,000<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">And that is only the direct economic view.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It does not fully include:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">additional construction logistics during ongoing operations, more noise, more dust, more coordination, longer blocked periods, material availability, possible batch differences in new stone, risks in the substrate, disposal, site management, claims potential, and the beautiful human experience that every opened building component usually wants to tell a little story from the past.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Usually not a good one.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"The difference\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Restoration is not automatically better.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">That would be just as wrong as claiming that replacement is automatically more premium.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The better question is:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Which decision preserves the value of the building with the least intervention and the best long-term result?<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Restoration is often reasonable when the natural stone is fundamentally suitable, the substrate is stable, the damage is superficial or technically treatable, and the use can be managed again through the right finish and maintenance concept.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Replacement makes sense when the stone was technically wrong from the beginning, when slabs are hollow, when moisture or waterproofing issues exist, when cracks have structural causes, or when the use of the space has changed so much that the existing material decision is no longer viable.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The problem is not replacement.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The problem is replacement as a reflex. Because reflexes are sometimes useful in medicine. In project calculation, they are usually expensive.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"Why restoration is often the smarter decision\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image\":\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2.png\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">In a private bathroom, a sensitive surface can work for many years if the users understand and maintain it properly.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">In a hotel room, different rules apply.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Here, design is not the only factor.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Operations decide.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Housekeeping has time limits. Guests have not read a user manual for natural stone. Cosmetics, water, shoes, suitcases, cleaning agents, and everyday wear all meet the same surfaces again and again.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">And with 154 rooms, every small decision is multiplied.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">A wrong finish is no longer a small problem.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It is the same problem 154 times, just with changing room numbers.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">That is the moment when natural stone consulting no longer sounds like \u201cchoosing beautiful samples.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It starts sounding like risk management.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Less romantic.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Much more useful.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"Hospitality is the stress test for material decisions\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">In natural stone projects, people often talk about the price per square meter very early.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Naturally.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Numbers create certainty. Or at least the illusion of certainty, which is very popular in construction.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">But the price per square meter is only the part of the truth that shouts the loudest at the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The real calculation includes more:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">How long should the surface perform? How intensively will it be used? How will it be cleaned? Which finish fits the operational reality? Can the stone be refinished later? Are replacement slabs available? How easily can the surface be partially restored? How does the material react to water, acids, oils, cosmetics, or cleaning agents? What role does the surface play in the perception of the property? And what does it cost if the decision has to be corrected after three years?<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">These are not side issues.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">This is the actual material decision.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"The price per square meter is rarely the full truth\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Facility Management does not see a building as a finished image.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Facility Management sees a building as an ongoing operation.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">That may be less glamorous, but it is usually closer to the truth.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">A material that looks impressive in a rendering but is difficult to clean in everyday use does not become better just because it looked elegant on the presentation slide.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">A floor that appears calm in the sample but shows every mark across the full surface does not become more forgiving just because someone called it \u201chigh-end.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">A finish that does not fit the cleaning concept will explain every day that it was the wrong decision.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">That is exactly why natural stone belongs early in the planning process.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">But not only as a beautiful hand sample that is approved once and then disappears from project communication.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">A material decision has to be carried through the project:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">through format, thickness, finish, substrate, detailing, maintenance, lead time, and future use.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">If the topic only returns at five minutes to midnight, when interior fit-out is already breathing down everyone\u2019s neck, the schedule is getting nervous, and someone says:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\u201cWe just need the stone quickly now,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">then it is often no longer a material decision.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It is damage control with a natural stone appearance.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\u201cQuickly\u201d and natural stone are an interesting combination.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Rather like fire safety and spontaneity.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"What Facility Management has long understood\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image\":\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3.png\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">There is one more point that will become increasingly important in high-quality projects:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">resources.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Construction and demolition waste accounts for more than one third of total waste generated in the EU. That does not mean nothing should ever be replaced. But it does mean that the decision has to become more conscious.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">If an existing natural stone can technically be preserved, if it can be refinished, if it can receive a new surface treatment, if it can function again through cleaning, grinding, or partial replacement, then this is not only economically interesting.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It is also a form of respect for material.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">And perhaps that is one of the most underestimated strengths of natural stone.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It does not necessarily age badly.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It ages visibly.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">That is a difference.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Some traces are damage. Others are use. Others are simply the reality of a building that was not only photographed, but actually lived in and operated.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The skill lies in knowing the difference.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"Restoration is also a question of resources\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Perhaps this is the real shift.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Restoration forces us to calculate more honestly.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Not only: What does the stone cost?<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">But: What does a wrong decision cost?<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">What does a surface cost that does not fit the operation? What does a sample approval cost that never simulated real use? What does a material cost that looks convincing but was never technically understood? What does replacement cost if restoration would have been enough? And what does restoration cost if replacement was actually necessary?<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Because this, too, is part of the truth:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Restoration is not always the better solution, but it must be assessed before replacement is thrown into the room as the default answer.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Especially with natural stone.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Especially in hospitality.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Especially in existing buildings.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">With 154 hotel rooms, this truth becomes quite clear.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">A good material decision stays quiet.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">A bad one reports back every day.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Usually not with flowers.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"The new calculation\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image\":\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1.png\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Natural stone in restoration projects is not a decorative afterthought.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It is part of a long-term operational and investment decision.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Anyone who selects natural stone only by color, price, and availability is calculating too narrowly. Anyone who evaluates it by use, maintenance, restoration potential, replacement risk, availability, and long-term impact makes a different decision.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Not always the cheapest one.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">But often the smarter one.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">And at a time when existing buildings, hospitality, ESG, construction costs, and operations are moving closer together, this kind of material decision becomes decisive.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The future of building does not lie only in the new.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It also lies in understanding the existing better.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Because what was merely bought will eventually be replaced.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">What was understood will be preserved.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"Conclusion\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"headline\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"font-family: 'Playfair Display', serif; font-size: 27px; color: #941919;\\\">June 2026<\/p>\n\n\",\"icon\":\"#June2026\",\"id\":\"June2026\",\"image_align\":\"left\",\"image_margin\":\"xsmall\",\"link\":\"#June2026\",\"title_element\":\"h2\",\"title_style\":\"h3\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image\":\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/STONE-DESIGN-NEWSLETTER-scaled.jpg\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"What June Had to Say About Natural Stone\",\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h2\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">A guide for everyone shaping the future with natural stone.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Some months are simply full.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Not only with appointments, but also with impressions, conversations, observations and thoughts that only reveal their real meaning a few days later.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">June was exactly that kind of month for me.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It took me to Graz, to the WKO Steiermark.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">To Stone+tec in Nuremberg.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">To lectures, conversations, award-winning projects and well-known figures from the natural stone industry.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">And in the end, even to a Mini World Cup in Stuttgart, which at first glance has little to do with natural stone, and at second glance perhaps more than one might think.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Because at the core, all of these moments revolved around the same question:<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"From Graz to Nuremberg to the Mini World Cup: Why natural stone needs a bigger stage\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">In architecture.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">In craftsmanship.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">In material decisions.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">In the industry.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">And sometimes also where children stand on a football pitch, simply enjoying what they are doing.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">For natural stone, this question is more important than many people think.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Because natural stone has a future. But that future will not happen automatically simply because the material is beautiful, durable and natural. It will only happen if we speak about it better, make decisions about it earlier, and no longer treat it as a decorative final item in a project.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"How does the future emerge?\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image\":\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Graz-Banner-Kopie.png\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The forum was held under the guiding theme:<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Knowledge, Design &amp; Investment<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">These three words already describe quite well what natural stone is really about.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Knowledge.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Because natural stone must not only be looked at. It must be understood.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Design.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Because a stone is not simply beige, grey, black or dramatic. It brings spatial impact, light, surface, proportion, use and ageing into a project.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Investment.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Because a wrong natural stone decision rarely looks expensive immediately. In most cases, it becomes expensive later.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"On 12 June, I had the opportunity to speak at the WKO Steiermark in Graz as part of the Forum Zukunft Naturstein, organised by Stein erleben.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\u201cRethinking Natural Stone \u2013 Material Decisions for Architects and Investors\u201d<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">In reality, it could also have been called:<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Why natural stone must not be the last decorative decision in a project.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Because this is exactly what I see again and again in practice.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">A natural stone sample is often on the table surprisingly early.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It is liked. It fits the visualisation. It confirms the desired atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">And very quickly, the impression arises that the material decision has already been made.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">But this is exactly the deceptive moment.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Visually, a stone can convince very early and very well, while the actual evaluation often comes much later.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">After fire protection, structural planning, budgets, deadlines, tendering, awarding of contracts and technical coordination, the question suddenly arises whether this material truly fits the intended use.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The surface.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The level of wear.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The cleaning requirements.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The slip resistance.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The availability.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The operation.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The long-term value retention.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">And then things become tight.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Either a new material has to be found under time pressure. Or one holds on to the originally beautiful sample and hopes that everything will work out somehow.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">In both cases, the sampling did not happen too early.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The real decision happened too late.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"The title of my lecture was:\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It was one of those moments when you realise that a topic has been growing for years.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">For many years, I have seen in projects that natural stone is often decided too late. People believe that the material question can wait until the design is finalised. Until the budget is set. Until the tender is prepared. Until the client has approved a direction.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">That is understandable.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">But it is not always wise.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Because natural stone is not a product that can simply be selected from a catalogue at the end.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Natural stone is a system.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">A system of geology, quarrying, selection, processing, surface, format, installation, maintenance, use and ageing.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">And when this system is considered too late, the decision becomes narrower. Not freer.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">At that point, one is no longer really deciding.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">One is only reacting.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">To schedules. To budgets. To availability. To samples that can be sent quickly. To offers that look attractive at first glance.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">But good material decisions are not made under pressure.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">They are made through early questions.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">What is the space supposed to achieve?<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">How will the surface be used?<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Which finish makes sense?<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Which maintenance is realistic?<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">What level of technical stress is to be expected?<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">How will the material change over the years?<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">And does the selected natural stone fit not only the design, but also the operation?<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">This is particularly crucial for architects and investors.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Because natural stone is rarely just design.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It is also responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"For me, Graz was not just a lecture date.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image\":\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Bild-02.07.26-um-14.55.jpeg\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Hermann Graser spoke about building with natural stone between tradition, innovation and the future.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Reiner Krug spoke about sustainable construction with natural stone.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Margit Vollmert spoke about colour, surface and their effect in architecture.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Ernst Giselbrecht spoke about natural stone in healthcare environments.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Stephanie Annerl spoke about terrazzo from antiquity to the present day.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">And in the subsequent panel discussion with Richard Watzke, it once again became clear that natural stone has long ceased to be merely a surface topic.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It is planning.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It is craftsmanship.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It is architecture.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It is sustainability.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It is maintenance.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It is durability.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">And it is a material that belongs at the decision-making table much earlier again.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"The programme in Graz showed very clearly how broadly natural stone must be considered today.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">A trade fair is always also a mood board of an industry.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">You see which topics become visible, which companies are investing, which materials attract attention and which technologies are being taken more seriously.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">And also where the industry may still be too quiet.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">This year, Stone+tec showed once again: natural stone is present.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">But visibility alone is not enough.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">A good material needs good communication. Strong craftsmanship needs good explanation.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">And an industry with so much substance cannot rely on the world automatically understanding why natural stone is relevant.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Because it does not.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Anyone speaking about natural stone today is not only competing with other materials.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">They are competing with speed, with renderings, budget pressure, standardisation and surfaces that imitate natural stone.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">And with the idea that a material should primarily be available, affordable and easy to replace.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">This is exactly why natural stone needs more than beautiful samples.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It needs arguments, practical knowledge and projects that show what is possible.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">And it needs people who not only sell it, but are able to explain it.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"Only a few days later, I travelled to Nuremberg for Stone+tec 2026.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image\":\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Nuernberg-Banner-Newsletter-Kopie.png\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The title alone said a great deal.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Because alongside technical justification, sustainability arguments and life-cycle costs, natural stone needs exactly that again: Steinlust \u2014 the desire for stone.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">A desire for material.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">For mass.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">For depth.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">For surface.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">For craftsmanship.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">For architectural permanence.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Natural stone is not only a building material that works.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It can give a building dignity.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Calm, weight, presence.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">A kind of permanence that does not need to be loud in order to be felt.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">For me, this moment made visible how important personalities are who do not treat natural stone as a decorative surface, but as an architectural attitude in the best sense.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">These are exactly the kinds of voices that are needed.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Voices that do not explain natural stone only through availability, efficiency and comparability.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Voices that remind us what a material can give to a building:<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">depth, calm, presence and permanence.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"One successful lecture at Stone+tec for me was \u201cSteinlust\u201d by Hans Kollhoff.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Awards like this matter because they show what is possible when natural stone is not added to architecture afterwards, but becomes part of the architectural idea itself.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Among the awarded projects were the German Embassy in Vienna by Schulz und Schulz Architekten, using Krastal marble, and the Kureck residential tower in Wiesbaden by Max Dudler, using Dietfurt limestone.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">These are projects in which natural stone does not appear arbitrary.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It contributes to the identity of the building.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">To its calm.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Its durability.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Its urban presence.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The special recognitions also showed how versatile natural stone can be \u2014 from reconstruction to innovation and massive constructive applications. For me, the presence of Bamberger Natursteinwerk Hermann Graser in connection with award-winning projects and the visible work around Zukunft Naturstein was particularly interesting.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Because this is exactly where an important point lies:<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Natural stone does not only need tradition.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It needs a future narrative.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">As a serious answer to the question of how we want to build, preserve, restore and design in the future.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"Another important moment at Stone+tec was the presentation of the German Natural Stone Award 2026.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Natural stone deserves a bigger stage.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Hardly any other material combines so much history, durability, beauty and individuality. Natural stone is one of the oldest building materials on our planet \u2014 and at the same time one of the most relevant when we speak about longevity, value retention, natural resources, repairability and true material identity.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Every stone brings something that industrially manufactured surfaces can never achieve:<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">geological depth, natural variation, characterful surfaces and a presence that does not need to be staged.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Choosing natural stone is not simply choosing a colour or a pattern.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It means choosing a material with origin.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">With history.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">With technical substance.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">With craftsmanship depth.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">With the ability to equip spaces and give them character.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">And that is exactly why it is so valuable that there is so much expertise in this industry.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Quarries, natural stone companies, processors, planners, consultants, restorers, dealers, architects and craftspeople all bring knowledge that no sample alone can reveal.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">They help find the right material for the right task.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">They advise on surface, use, processing, maintenance, availability and long-term value retention.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"Between Graz and Nuremberg, one thing became very clear to me again:\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Because it showed that natural stone is a material rich in tradition \u2014 and a building material with a future.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">For architecture.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">For interiors.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">For fa\u00e7ades.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">For public spaces.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">For restoration, existing buildings and new construction.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">For projects that are allowed to remain.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">When natural stone is considered early and with expertise, it can shape projects.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It can give them calm.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Value.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Identity.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Permanence.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"Perhaps this is exactly why June was so valuable.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">@R&amp;R had the opportunity to support the Mini World Cup 2026 in Stuttgart.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">At first glance, this has little to do with natural stone.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">At second glance, perhaps it does.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Because there, too, it is about the future.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Not about buildings, surfaces or material approvals.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It is about children doing something that brings them joy.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">About team spirit, support and the idea that the future does not begin in the abstract, but wherever people are encouraged.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The quiet connection between all these moments in June:<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Whether in architecture, craftsmanship or sport \u2014 the future does not emerge through beautiful words.<\/p>\n\n  \n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It emerges when you support something before it has grown big.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"And then there was another very different moment in June.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"headline\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"font-family: 'Playfair Display', serif; font-size: 27px; color: #941919;\\\">May 2026<\/p>\n\n\",\"icon\":\"#May2026\",\"id\":\"May2026\",\"image_align\":\"left\",\"image_margin\":\"xsmall\",\"link\":\"#May2026\",\"title_element\":\"h2\",\"title_style\":\"h3\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image\":\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1-scaled.png\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"How do you find the right natural stone for a project?\",\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h2\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">A guide for professionals shaping tomorrow\u2019s spaces - with natural stone.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Some time ago, a client said to me:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\u201cWe\u2019ll order the material ourselves. I know someone who knows someone. That will surely make it cheaper.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"And why the shortest procurement route is not automatically the smartest decision.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">At first, the thought is understandable. Anyone planning a high-end project naturally looks at budgets, offers, supply routes and potential savings. Especially with natural stone, the idea quickly arises: the closer you get to the source, the better it will automatically be. Or at least cheaper.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">That sentence stayed with me. From the client\u2019s perspective, it's absolutely understandable. But it also reveals the exact point: natural stone is often first treated as a procurement question, and only much later as a material decision.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Because the real question is not only: \u201cWhere can we get the stone for less?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The more important question is: \u201cDoes that also lead to a better material decision?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">In high-end projects, natural stone is often discussed through price.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">What does it cost per square metre? Where is the stone located? Does it come from a dealer, an importer or directly from the quarry? Is there a cheaper alternative? Can intermediate steps be avoided?<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"Does that sound familiar?\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Because the price of a natural stone slab is only one part of the decision. The real value does not arise from procurement alone, but from the question of whether this particular stone is truly right for this particular project.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">For the location. For the use. For the light. For the fabrication. For the maintenance. For the client\u2019s expectations. For many years of operation.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">An expensive stone can be wrong. A more affordable stone can be right. A directly sourced stone can be excellent. And a directly sourced stone can still be a poor decision.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Direct does not automatically mean suitable. Direct does not automatically mean verified. Direct does not automatically mean project-safe. And direct does not automatically mean cheaper.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">At first, it only means one thing: the procurement route is shorter. That can be an advantage. But only if someone is able to assess what is actually being selected there.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">What quality does the block have? How stable is the selection? How strong is the veining? How will the material behave in the intended application? Which surface finish makes sense? Which formats are realistic? Which reserves are needed? How reliable is the possibility of reordering? Who takes responsibility if the slab later does not match the planning, the use or the client\u2019s expectations?<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"These are legitimate questions. But they do not go far enough.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">A good dealer can be highly valuable in this process.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">They know materials, availability, selections, stock levels and often the specific characteristics of certain quarries. They can secure quality, provide samples, organise supply chains and play an important role in the event of claims or complaints.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Especially because there are thousands of quarries around the world, orientation matters.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Every quarry has its own strengths, limitations, qualities, selections, lead times and fabrication possibilities. No planner, no dealer and no direct buyer knows the entire market completely.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">That is why the direct route to the quarry is not automatically more objective - and not automatically more economical.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Anyone buying directly ultimately also makes decisions within their own network: from the quarries they know, trust, have had good experiences with or feel well supported by both professionally and organisationally.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">That can make a lot of sense.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"This is where the difference between procurement and material decision begins.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Because economically, \u201cdirect\u201d is not always the same as \u201cbetter\u201d. A dealer who regularly purchases larger quantities may obtain better conditions, more stable delivery commitments or more reliable reservations for certain materials than a single project that perhaps requires only 500 square metres.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">In addition, there are stock availability, pre-selection, access to samples, claims handling, the ability to reorder and experience with specific qualities.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">So the direct route may be shorter.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">But shorter does not automatically mean cheaper, safer or smarter.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">That is exactly why the question is not dealer or quarry.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It is the quality of the decision.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">A dealer is not automatically independent. A direct buyer is not automatically neutral. A short procurement route is not automatically a better material decision.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">What matters is whether someone considers the project, the intended use, the design ambition, the technical suitability and the later responsibility together.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"But it is not automatically the best solution for every project.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Natural stone needs decision security.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Luxury in natural stone is not created by choosing the most expensive stone. Nor is it created by buying as directly as possible.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Luxury emerges when aesthetics, material quality, technical suitability, execution and use are considered together.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The right stone is not always the most spectacular. Not always the most expensive. Not always the rarest. Not always the one sourced through the most direct route.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The right stone is the one that works permanently within the project - aesthetically, technically and economically.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Especially in high-end real estate, hotels, private residences or representative spaces, the issue is therefore not only procurement. It is responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Because natural stone is not an interchangeable surface product.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It is a natural material with character, variation, limitations and possibilities. Anyone who evaluates it only by price, origin or availability does not see the full picture.<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"Because natural stone does not need a romantic procurement story.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Not always at the time of purchase. Often only later.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">When the surface finish does not match the use. When the selection does not match the architectural ambition. When the slabs in place look different than expected. When cleaning and maintenance were not taken into account. When reordering becomes difficult. When technical requirements only become apparent on the construction site.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Then the stone was not necessarily too expensive.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Then the decision was made too cheaply.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Natural stone is an investment decision. Not a pure procurement item.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The best procurement route is therefore not automatically the shortest.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It is the one that leads to the right material decision.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">And that is why the crucial question should not be:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\u201cWhere can we get the stone at the lowest price?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">The question should be:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\u201cWho will help us make the right material decision - before it becomes expensive?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">Answering this question early on often saves not only money, but also time, coordination, complaints and later compromises.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\"><strong>That is exactly where the real value of a good natural stone decision lies.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"And this is precisely where projects become expensive.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"headline\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"font-family: 'Playfair Display', serif; font-size: 27px; color: #941919;\\\">April 2026<\/p>\n\n\",\"icon\":\"#April2026\",\"id\":\"April2026\",\"image_align\":\"left\",\"image_margin\":\"xsmall\",\"link\":\"#April2026\",\"title_element\":\"h2\",\"title_style\":\"h3\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image\":\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2-scaled.png\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"Natural stone is getting a passport.\",\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h2\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    material decisions become traceable.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    A guide for professionals shaping tomorrow\u2019s spaces \u2013 with natural stone.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    The conversations I am having at the moment tend to circle around the same themes.<br \/>\\n    Prices. Supply chains. Uncertainty.<br \/>\\n    That is understandable, because this is where the most visible changes are currently taking place.<br \/>\\n    And yet, there is a growing sense that the real shift is happening somewhere else.<br \/>\\n    More quietly. Less tangible. But with a far more lasting impact on projects.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"And with it, something long taken for granted begins to change:\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">What initially appears to be just another technical tool reveals itself, upon closer examination, as a structural intervention in how materials will be evaluated and used in the future.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">A natural stone product will no longer be described or positioned purely through references.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It will be assigned a digital identity, bringing together information on origin, processing, transport, performance and use.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">This information is not intended as an addition.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">It is gradually becoming the basis for decision-making.<\/p>\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"With the Digital Product Passport, this shift begins to take shape.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    Until now, many material decisions have been based on experience, trust and design intuition. Samples, references and personal judgement play a central role. This will not disappear.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    But it will be complemented by a layer that is far more concrete and verifiable.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    The question of whether a material looks right or fits the concept will no longer be sufficient.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    What will matter is whether that decision can be understood and justified \u2013 even at a later stage, when questions of use, maintenance or even dismantling arise.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"In practice, this represents a change that feels subtle at first \u2013 and is therefore easy to underestimate.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    A digitally documented material does not only influence selection.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    It reshapes planning and long-term use.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    Specifications will need to become more precise, because information is no longer optional.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    Responsibilities along the supply chain will become clearer, because it will be evident where a material originates and who provides which data.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    At the same time, operators gain a new basis for understanding and evaluating materials during use. Maintenance, care and lifespan can no longer rely solely on experience, but increasingly on documented properties.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"This is precisely where the relevance for projects begins.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    It is part of a broader regulatory development within the European Union, driven by the European Commission as part of the Ecodesign framework and the Circular Economy strategy. The aim is to make products more transparent across their entire life cycle and therefore more sustainable in their evaluation.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    Implementation will take place gradually, across different product categories. Construction materials are clearly in focus, even though not all details for natural stone have been fully defined yet.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    One point is often misunderstood:\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    The Digital Product Passport does not apply only to products manufactured within the EU.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    It applies to all products placed on the EU market. This means that international supply chains are directly affected. A natural stone from India used in Europe will be subject to the same requirements as material from Italy or Germany.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    In this way, a European regulation becomes a globally relevant system.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"The Digital Product Passport is not an isolated industry topic.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    It is distributed across the entire value chain. Producers, processors, importers and, in part, distributors will all be required to provide structured information. For planners and clients, this means that such information should not only be available, but actively requested.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    What emerges from this is a shift that has less to do with the material itself and more with how we handle it.<br \/>\\n    A natural stone can be technically excellent and aesthetically convincing.<br \/>\\n    If its origin is not clearly documented, if its processing is not traceable, or if its properties are not properly classified, it loses relevance in the decision-making process.<br \/>\\n    Not because it is inferior,<br \/>\\n    but because it is less tangible.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"Responsibility for providing data does not lie with a single party.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    Materials are often selected because they are available, because they look right, or because they fit within a certain budget framework. A complete understanding of origin, processing and long-term performance is often only partial.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    This still works within the current system.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    The question is: for how much longer.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"In practice, this gap is already visible today.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    It shifts the focus away from pure material impact towards a combination of impact and traceability.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    And that is where its real significance lies.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    The key question is not whether this system will come, or how exactly it will be implemented in detail.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    What matters is how early we begin to think about material decisions within this broader context.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"The Digital Product Passport does not change this situation abruptly, but it does so consistently.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    Perhaps that is precisely where the opportunity lies.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0 0 1em 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    What exists can be made visible.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"margin: 0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; color: #333333 !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n    It simply requires consistency.\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"Natural stone has always been an honest material.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"headline\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"font-family: 'Playfair Display', serif; font-size: 27px; color: #941919;\\\">\\n  March 2026\\n<\/p>\n\n\\n\",\"icon\":\"#March2026\",\"id\":\"March2026\",\"image_align\":\"left\",\"image_margin\":\"xsmall\",\"link\":\"#March2026\",\"title_element\":\"h2\",\"title_style\":\"h3\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image\":\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2-scaled.png\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"Natural stone is never neutral What Mies, Loos and Zaha Hadid understood about natural stone\",\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h2\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<div style=\\\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6; color: #333333 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n\n\n<p>This newsletter is not a retrospective on great names. It is a look at an uncomfortable truth: natural stone reveals how seriously a design really means it.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Good architecture is not always recognized first by its form.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Sometimes, it is recognized by the way<br \/>it handles material.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Natural stone, in particular, is an unforgiving test.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>It cannot be staged into meaning.<br \/>It cannot be talked into substance.<br \/>It brings weight into a space.<br \/>Time.<br \/>Resistance.<br \/>And a truth many projects would rather avoid:<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Material is never just surface.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Anyone working with natural stone is therefore deciding not only about appearance,<br \/>but about attitude.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>And perhaps that is exactly why stone continues to occupy such a singular place in architecture.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Not because it is expensive.<br \/>Not because it looks prestigious.<br \/>Not because it photographs well.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>But because it reveals something.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>It shows whether a design has discipline.<br \/>Whether it can carry dignity.<br \/>Whether its form has substance.<br \/>Or whether, in the end, nothing remains but surface.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Three architects demonstrate this in radically different ways:<br \/>Mies van der Rohe.<br \/>Adolf Loos.<br \/>Zaha Hadid.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Three attitudes.<br \/>Three languages.<br \/>Three completely different answers to the same question:<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>What happens when natural stone is allowed to become more than a finish?<\/p>\n\n\\n<\/div>\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"A guide for everyone shaping the future with natural stone\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image\":\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Foto-Newsletter-33-und-34-.png\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<div style=\\\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6; color: #333333 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n\n\n<p>With Mies van der Rohe, stone is never an accessory.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>It orders.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>In the Barcelona Pavilion, natural stone does not appear as a decorative claim, but as a calm and precisely placed presence. Travertine, marble and onyx do not occupy the space to demand attention. They structure it. They steady it. They create that quiet authority which only emerges when material is given room to speak without interruption.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>That may be Mies\u2019s real strength.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>He does not show how to make stone spectacular.<br \/>He shows how to let it work in silence.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>No overstatement.<br \/>No decorative pathos.<br \/>No fear of surface.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Only material.<br \/>Light.<br \/>Proportion.<br \/>Jointing.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>And the discipline to remove everything that interferes.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>That remains radical to this day.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Because many projects want natural stone to become an event immediately.<br \/>Mies does something more difficult:<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>He allows it to feel inevitable.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>And that is precisely what makes it powerful.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Perhaps this is the first uncomfortable lesson of the material:<br \/>not every high-quality stone needs a spectacular detail.<br \/>Sometimes it only needs a design strong enough not to comment on it constantly.<\/p>\n\n\\n<\/div>\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"Mies van der Rohe - Stone as discipline\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image\":\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/mies-5255085015_f7c3738fdd_b.jpg\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<div style=\\\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6; color: #333333 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n\n\n<p>With Adolf Loos, the question of material becomes sharper.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Loos was not against impact.<br \/>He was against deception.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>He mistrusted everything that merely simulated meaning.<br \/>Everything that decorated where substance was missing.<br \/>Everything that replaced material instead of taking it seriously.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>That is exactly why his use of natural stone still matters.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>At the Looshaus in Vienna, this becomes unmistakably clear: marble below, restraint above. No decorative excess, no pleasing gesture, no fa\u00e7ade seeking approval. Instead, a base of material dignity, and above it, an almost provocative plainness.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>This attitude becomes even more concentrated in the Loosbar.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Within the smallest of spaces, it achieves what many large-scale projects fail to reach: atmosphere through consequence. Marble columns. Stone flooring. Onyx. Mirrors. Wood. Density. Tension. No element is there by accident. Nothing is trying to look luxurious.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>It is luxurious because material, space and proportion belong together.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>And this is precisely the point many still miss:<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Luxury is not decoration.<br \/>Luxury is consequence.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Not one more gesture.<br \/>Not one more effect.<br \/>Not one more supposedly noble surface that, in truth, only conceals insecurity.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>But the decision to take real material so seriously<br \/>that nothing cheap can be added to it anymore.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>That is uncomfortable.<br \/>But true:<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Expensive stone does not heal weak design<\/p>\n\n\\n<\/div>\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"Adolf Loos -Stone as dignity\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image\":\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1779870_Vienna_LoosBar-76-web.jpg\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<div style=\\\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6; color: #333333 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n\n\n<p>And then there is Zaha Hadid.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Here, stone does not become still.<br \/>Here, it begins to move.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Or at least, it seems to.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Zaha Hadid did not treat natural stone as historical weight, but as a material that could be translated into a new spatial language. Not rigid. Not merely dignified. Not simply monumental. But fluid, transformative, almost sculptural.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>That is exactly where her relevance lies.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Because she contradicts an old misunderstanding:<br \/>that natural stone must always mean calm, heaviness and tradition.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>No.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>It can also carry tension.<br \/>It can generate dynamism.<br \/>It can articulate the future.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>In projects such as Stone Towers, this becomes visible. Stone does not appear as a nostalgic reference, but as an active surface whose identity shifts constantly through relief, depth, light and shadow. In the studio\u2019s sculptural work as well, stone becomes more than mass. It becomes movement held in condensed form.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>That sounds poetic.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>But technically, it is brutally demanding.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Because the freer the form,<br \/>the more uncompromising the understanding behind it must be.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Planning.<br \/>Fabrication.<br \/>Tolerances.<br \/>Junctions.<br \/>Light.<br \/>Execution.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>When that precision is missing, vision turns into scenery very quickly.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>And perhaps that is the second uncomfortable truth:<br \/>not every expressive stone gesture is progress.<br \/>Some of it is simply poorly controlled effect.<\/p>\n\n\\n<\/div>\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"Zaha Hadid - Stone as movement \",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image\":\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/stone-towers-zaha-hadid-architects-main-image.jpg\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<div style=\\\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6; color: #333333 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n\n\n<p>Mies, Loos and Zaha are not interesting because their names signal cultural literacy.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>They matter because they understood something fundamental:<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Natural stone is not an interchangeable finish.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>With Mies, it orders space.<br \/>With Loos, it carries dignity.<br \/>With Zaha, it sets form in motion.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>But for contemporary projects, the her real question lies elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Not: Which stone looks good?<br \/>But: Is the material truly being thought through?<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>In the selection.<br \/>In the detail.<br \/>In the build-up.<br \/>In the jointing.<br \/>In the light.<br \/>In the use.<br \/>In maintenance.<br \/>In long-term value retention.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>That is exactly where many natural stone projects still fail today.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Not because of the stone itself.<br \/>But because of the separation between design and reality.<br \/>Between concept and operation.<br \/>Between surface and system.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>A material can look outstanding as a sample<br \/>and fail in everyday use.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Not because natural stone is problematic.<br \/>But because no one took responsibility for thinking selection, technical detailing, execution and future use together.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>And this, in my view, is where real quality begins.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Not with the beautiful slab.<br \/>But with the question of whether a project wants merely to show the stone<br \/>or actually understand it.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>In high-end interiors, existing buildings, hospitality environments and representative properties, this becomes visible very quickly. That is where it is decided whether natural stone merely creates an impression - or carries quality over time.<\/p>\n\n\\n<\/div>\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"What it means now\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<div style=\\\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6; color: #333333 !important; font-weight: normal !important;\\\">\\n\n\n<p>Anyone who wants to integrate natural stone convincingly today needs more than material sensitivity.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>They need an understanding of how selection, detailing, execution and future use interact.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Because that is exactly where it is decided whether stone merely creates an impression - or carries lasting quality.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p>Because in the end, natural stone does not only shape spaces.<br \/>It reveals the standard behind them.<\/p>\n\n\\n<\/div>\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"Closing thought\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"headline\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"February 2026\",\"icon\":\"#February2026\",\"id\":\"February2026\",\"image_align\":\"left\",\"image_margin\":\"xsmall\",\"link\":\"#February2026\",\"title_color\":\"primary\",\"title_element\":\"h2\",\"title_style\":\"h4\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image\":\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2-scaled.jpg\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"The White Stone Paradox\",\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h2\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<div style=\\\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6; color: #333333 !important;\\\">\\n\\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\\\">That\u2019s the sentence that sounds like safety in meetings and often turns into follow-up costs on site.<\/p>\n\n\\n    \\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1.5em;\\\">Because white isn\u2019t a color. White is an amplifier. It amplifies light, joint patterns, and every decision you wanted to postpone. And that\u2019s exactly why a white natural stone is never just a material, it\u2019s an operating system. (You can ignore it. But it won\u2019t ignore you back.)<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n<\/div>\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"\u201cLet\u2019s just go with white\u201d\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<div style=\\\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.6; color: #333333 !important;\\\">\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 1em;\\\">White natural stones are bought as neutrality. In reality, they work like a microphone. They make audible what used to be only quietly wrong.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 1em;\\\">Raking light reveals flatness or the lack of it. Acids make polished surfaces more honest than we\u2019d like (think: etching). And real-life operation (people, cleaning routines, time) turns design into either elegance or patina with excuses.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 1.5em;\\\">The most common mistake isn\u2019t choosing the wrong stone. The most common mistake is treating white like a decorative color.<\/p>\n\n\\n<\/div>\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"The Truth\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<div style=\\\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6; color: #333333 !important;\\\">\\n\\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\\\">At the core, you have three paths:<\/p>\n\n\\n    \\n    \n\n<ul style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1.5em;\\\">\\n        \n\n<li style=\\\"margin-bottom: 0.5em;\\\">Just white. Quickly decided. Later explained.<\/li>\n\n\\n        \n\n<li style=\\\"margin-bottom: 0.5em;\\\">White like in the rendering. Works\u2026 until daylight, real use, and real cleaning products move in.<\/li>\n\n\\n        \n\n<li style=\\\"margin-bottom: 0.5em;\\\">White as a system. You define use, finish, substrate, joints, and maintenance upfront and white feels like luxury instead of risk.<\/li>\n\n\\n    <\/ul>\n\n\\n    \\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important;\\\">Luxury is rarely expensive. Most of the time, it simply means: thinking early instead of paying later.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n<\/div>\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"The Decision\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<div style=\\\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6; color: #333333 !important;\\\">\\n\\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\\\">White isn\u2019t one category. It\u2019s three different games, for example:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n<\/div>\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"The Discovery\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<div style=\\\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; color: #333333 !important;\\\">\\n\\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\\\">\\n        <span style=\\\"color: #333333 !important;\\\">Known for its bright, sparkling whiteness and strong light reflection. If you choose Thassos, you choose: maximum calm, maximum visibility of substrate and joints. A surface that reads more like \u201clight\u201d than \u201cpattern\u201d. <\/span>\\n        <em style=\\\"color: #333333 !important;\\\">Risk note: Thassos doesn\u2019t forgive. It documents. Very neatly.<\/em>\\n    <\/p>\n\n\\n\\n<\/div>\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"THASSOS Radical Purity\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<div style=\\\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; color: #333333 !important;\\\">\\n\\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\\\">\\n        <span style=\\\"color: #333333 !important;\\\">Volakas is a Greek (dolomitic) marble with a white background and variable veining. If you choose Volakas, you choose: white with elegance, without sterility; a material that rewards selection.<\/span>\\n    <\/p>\n\n\\n\\n<\/div>\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"VOLAKAS Controlled Movement\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<div style=\\\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; color: #333333 !important;\\\">\\n\\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\\\">\\n        Statuario is considered one of the most exclusive white marbles. If you choose Statuario, you choose a statement. \\n        <em style=\\\"color: #333333 !important;\\\">Real talk: Statuario without an approval process is like a Porsche without brakes.<\/em>\\n    <\/p>\n\n\\n\\n    \n\n<hr style=\\\"border: 0; border-top: 1px solid #eeeeee; margin: 2em 0;\\\">\\n\\n<\/div>\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"STATUARIO (Carrara) Iconic Drama\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p style=\\\"--uk-inverse: initial; margin: 0px 0px 1em; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif;\\\">This is how white becomes sovereign instead of sensitive:<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<ul style=\\\"--uk-inverse: initial; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding-left: 20px; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif;\\\">\\n\n\n<li style=\\\"--uk-inverse: initial; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\\\"><span style=\\\"--uk-inverse: initial;\\\">Finish:<\/span>\u00a0Polished = maximum brilliance; Honed\/brushed = better real-life performance.<\/li>\n\n\\n\n\n<li style=\\\"--uk-inverse: initial; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\\\"><span style=\\\"--uk-inverse: initial;\\\">Substrate:<\/span>\u00a0Flatness isn\u2019t technical, it\u2019s visual.<\/li>\n\n\\n\n\n<li style=\\\"--uk-inverse: initial; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\\\"><span style=\\\"--uk-inverse: initial;\\\">Joints:<\/span>\u00a0White turns joints into either elegance or noise.<\/li>\n\n\\n\n\n<li style=\\\"--uk-inverse: initial; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\\\"><span style=\\\"--uk-inverse: initial;\\\">Maintenance:<\/span>\u00a0Etching isn\u2019t dirt, it\u2019s chemistry. Plan for it.<\/li>\n\n\\n<\/ul>\n\n\\n\n\n<hr style=\\\"--uk-inverse: initial; overflow: visible; margin: 1.5em 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif; height: 1px; background: #e0e0e0;\\\" \/>\\n\n\n\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"How It\u2019s Done\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<div style=\\\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; color: #333333 !important;\\\">\\n\\n    \n\n<ol style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 1.5em;\\\">\\n        \n\n<li style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\\\">How intense is the usage?<\/li>\n\n\\n        \n\n<li style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\\\">How much raking light hits the surface?<\/li>\n\n\\n        \n\n<li style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\\\">How much aging can the surface tolerate?<\/li>\n\n\\n        \n\n<li style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\\\">Is there a maintenance concept?<\/li>\n\n\\n        \n\n<li style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\\\">Are selection and approval planned?<\/li>\n\n\\n    <\/ol>\n\n\\n\\n<\/div>\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"White Stone Decision Matrix\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<div style=\\\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; color: #333333 !important;\\\">\\n\\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\\\">\u201cWhite stones are sensitive\u201d is often just a polite way of saying:<\/p>\n\n\\n    \\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\\\">\u201cWe planned them wrong.\u201d White doesn\u2019t fail because it isn\u2019t beautiful. White fails because structure was missing. And in high-end projects, structure is not optional.<\/p>\n\n\\n    \\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1.5em;\\\">It\u2019s the difference between luxury and complaints.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n<\/div>\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"The Uncomfortable Truth\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"headline\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"January 2026\",\"icon\":\"#January2026\",\"id\":\"January2026\",\"image_align\":\"left\",\"image_margin\":\"xsmall\",\"link\":\"#January2026\",\"title_color\":\"primary\",\"title_element\":\"h2\",\"title_style\":\"h4\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"content_style\":\"text-lead\",\"image\":\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4-scaled.jpg\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_alt\":\"Naturstein Marmor R&R Raddato Projektmanagement GmbH\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"position\":\"relative\",\"position_z_index\":\"1\",\"title\":\"Is your design made for people or for likes?\",\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h2\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<div style=\\\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; color: #333333 !important;\\\">\\n\\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\\\">You\u2019re working on states of being. And you know the situation:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\\\">The space is finished. Budget was not the issue. Natural stone, fixtures, wood, textiles, everything top shelf. The client stands there, looks around, nods politely\u2026 and emotionally, very little happens. No exhale. No \u201cI want to stay here.\u201d No warmth. And you can sense it: without being able to explain it, the client quietly takes a step back \u2013 internally.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\\\">Then comes the sentence that keeps you reliably alert: \u201cIt\u2019s beautiful. But something doesn\u2019t feel right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\\\">And that\u2019s usually when the familiar rescue plan begins: a shade warmer, one more rug, a different textile, a new object \u2013 as if a missing feeling could be filled like a styling gap.<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\\\">And that\u2019s exactly why this uncomfortable question is worth asking:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\\\">\\n        Would you still choose this design the same way if no one could photograph it, post it, or rate it? If it were only about the experience. About being there. About how the space feels in the body. About the nervous system.\\n    <\/p>\n\n\\n\\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\\\">Many high-end interiors don\u2019t fail because of budget. They fail because of a quiet mix-up:<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n    \n\n<ul style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 1.5em;\\\">\\n        \n\n<li style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\\\">You build value \u2013 and expect warmth.<\/li>\n\n\\n        \n\n<li style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\\\">You build perfection \u2013 and hope for closeness.<\/li>\n\n\\n    <\/ul>\n\n\\n\\n<\/div>\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"You\u2019re not working on rooms.\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<div style=\\\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; color: #333333 !important;\\\">\\n\\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\\\">You know these spaces: everything is perfect on paper. Rare materials, big names, flawless execution \u2013 and still, something is missing. That \u201cyes.\u201d That \u201cI can be here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\\n    \\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\\\">Because people don\u2019t experience spaces like catalogs. They scan unconsciously: Am I safe here? Can I move? Can I leave traces? Can I breathe?<\/p>\n\n\\n    \\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1.5em;\\\">\\n        And this is exactly where natural stone becomes interesting \u2013 not as a prestige material, but as a psychological tool. Because natural stone carries something many interiors lack: \\n        <span style=\\\"color: #333333 !important;\\\">truth<\/span>. It isn\u2019t perfect \u2013 and that\u2019s precisely why it can feel credible.\\n    <\/p>\n\n\\n\\n<\/div>\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"The conflict: when \u201cexclusive\u201d doesn\u2019t automatically mean \u201cinviting\u201d\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<div style=\\\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; color: #333333 !important;\\\">\\n\\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\\\">\\n        The real bet is: <style=\\\"color: #333333 !important;\\\">admiration or belonging?<\/strong>\\n    <\/p>\n\n\\n    \\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1.5em;\\\">\\n        Admiration works through distance. Through \u201cplease don\u2019t touch.\u201d Belonging works through permission. Through \u201cyou can relax.\u201d Through a surface that allows closeness.\\n    <\/p>\n\n\\n\\n<\/div>\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"The bet no one expects\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<div style=\\\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; color: #333333 !important;\\\">\\n\\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1.5em;\\\">\\n        <span style=\\\"color: #333333 !important;\\\">Perfection looks confident in pictures. In real life it can trigger something else: vigilance. A room that allows no mistakes in every detail often does the same to its occupants: it allows no mistakes.<\/span>\\n    <\/p>\n\n\\n\\n<\/div>\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"The crash: when perfection eats warmth\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<div style=\\\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; color: #333333 !important;\\\">\\n\\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\\\">\\n        The body is faster than the mind. The same stone can show up like two completely different personalities. One says: \u201cI\u2019m gala.\u201d The other says: \u201cI\u2019m home.\u201d\\n    <\/p>\n\n\\n    \\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; margin-bottom: 1.5em;\\\">\\n        Is your design a place where people are allowed to live, or a place where they have to behave? Sometimes you need a material that quietly says: \\n        <span style=\\\"color: #333333 !important;\\\">\u201cYou\u2019re allowed to be here.\u201d<\/span>\\n    <\/p>\n\n\\n\\n<\/div>\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"Why touch plays the hidden lead role\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<div style=\\\"font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12pt !important; line-height: 1.6 !important; color: #333333 !important;\\\">\\n\\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1em;\\\">Curves aren\u2019t just form. They\u2019re a message. They remove sharpness from a space.<\/p>\n\n\\n    \\n    \n\n<ul style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1em; padding-left: 1.5em;\\\">\\n        \n\n<li style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\\\">A sharp edge says: \u201cStop.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\\n        \n\n<li style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 0.5em;\\\">A radius, a soft transition says: \u201cCome closer.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\\n    <\/ul>\n\n\\n    \\n    \n\n<p style=\\\"color: #333333 !important; margin-bottom: 1.5em;\\\">And suddenly it makes sense why some rooms don\u2019t feel warm\u2026<\/p>\n\n\\n\\n<\/div>\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"title\":\"The thing about curves\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"}},{\"type\":\"divider\",\"props\":{\"divider_element\":\"hr\",\"margin_bottom\":\"large\",\"margin_top\":\"large\",\"position\":\"relative\",\"position_z_index\":\"1\"}},{\"type\":\"headline\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"Your Partner for Natural Stone Projects<br \/>- Consultation, Care, and Perfection.\",\"id\":\"talk\",\"image_align\":\"left\",\"image_margin\":\"xsmall\",\"title_element\":\"h3\"}},{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p>Do you design or manage premium natural stone surfaces? Let\u2019s talk about your project.. about durability, care concepts and an aesthetic that doesn\u2019t just catch the eye\u2026 but stays.<\/p>\n\n\\n\n\n<p><a href=\\\"mailto:service(@)stone.management\\\" data-wplink-edit=\\\"true\\\"><strong>Message me here<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"content_style\":\"text-lead\",\"image\":\"wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/cta-newsletter.png\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta\":\"\",\"meta_align\":\"above-content\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"h4\",\"position\":\"relative\",\"position_z_index\":\"1\",\"title\":\"Let\u2019s talk Stone\",\"title_align\":\"left\",\"title_element\":\"h2\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"2-5\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\",\"title_style\":\"h3\"},\"name\":\"talk stone-D\"}]},{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky\":\"column\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"position_sticky_offset\":\"110\",\"width_medium\":\"1-4\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"panel\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\",\"content_column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"icon\":\"\",\"image_align\":\"top\",\"image_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"image_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link\":\"kontakt-de\/\",\"link_size\":\"small\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Contact Us\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"position\":\"relative\",\"position_z_index\":\"1\",\"title\":\"R&R PROJEKTMANAGEMENT GMBH\",\"title_align\":\"top\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"title_grid_width\":\"1-2\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\",\"title_style\":\"h6\"}},{\"type\":\"headline\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"2026\",\"image_align\":\"left\",\"image_margin\":\"xsmall\",\"title_element\":\"h2\",\"title_style\":\"h3\"}},{\"type\":\"nav\",\"props\":{\"grid\":\"1\",\"grid_column_gap\":\"small\",\"grid_row_gap\":\"small\",\"image_vertical_align\":true,\"nav_divider\":false,\"nav_style\":\"default\",\"show_image\":true,\"show_meta\":true},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"nav_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"July 2026\",\"icon\":\"calendar\",\"id\":\"July2026\",\"link\":\"#July2026\",\"meta\":\"154 Hotel Rooms: Replacement or Restoration?\"}},{\"type\":\"nav_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"June 2026\",\"icon\":\"calendar\",\"id\":\"June2026\",\"link\":\"#June2026\",\"meta\":\"What June Had to Say About Natural Stone\"}},{\"type\":\"nav_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"May 2026\",\"icon\":\"calendar\",\"id\":\"May2026\",\"link\":\"#May2026\",\"meta\":\"How do you find the right natural stone for a project?\"}},{\"type\":\"nav_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"April 2026\",\"icon\":\"calendar\",\"id\":\"April2026\",\"link\":\"#April2026\",\"meta\":\"Natural stone is getting a passport.\"}},{\"type\":\"nav_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"March 2026\",\"icon\":\"calendar\",\"id\":\"March2026\",\"link\":\"#March2026\",\"meta\":\"Natural stone is never neutral What Mies, Loos and Zaha Hadid understood about natural stone\"}},{\"type\":\"nav_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"February 2026\",\"icon\":\"calendar\",\"link\":\"#February2026\",\"meta\":\"The White Stone Paradox\"}},{\"type\":\"nav_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"January 2026\",\"icon\":\"calendar\",\"link\":\"#January2026\",\"meta\":\"Is your design made for people or for likes?\"}},{\"type\":\"nav_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"Let's talk Stone\",\"icon\":\"calendar\",\"link\":\"#talk\"}}]}]}]}],\"name\":\"Services\"},{\"type\":\"section\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"style\":\"muted\",\"title_breakpoint\":\"xl\",\"title_position\":\"top-left\",\"title_rotation\":\"left\",\"vertical_align\":\"middle\",\"width\":\"default\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"row\",\"children\":[{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"headline\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"More expertise<span class=\\\"uk-text-primary\\\">.<\/span><br \/> More project efficiency<span class=\\\"uk-text-primary\\\">.<\/span><br \/> More natural stone knowledge<span class=\\\"uk-text-primary\\\">.<\/span>\",\"image_align\":\"left\",\"image_margin\":\"xsmall\",\"title_element\":\"h2\",\"title_style\":\"heading-medium\"}}]}]},{\"type\":\"row\",\"children\":[{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"text\",\"props\":{\"column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"content\":\"<b>Become part of the Stone Insider Community<\/b>\n\nBy registering, we offer guidance and access to specialist content, newsletter updates, knowledge and decision-making aids.\\nThe mailing list serves to pass on relevant information in a targeted manner to interested readers and specialists who make decisions and bear responsibility.\\n\\n\n\n\\nExpert knowledge<br \/>\\nExclusive content<br \/>\\nAccess to the full version\n\n\\n<b>Activate your access now:<\/b>\",\"margin_bottom\":\"default\",\"margin_top\":\"default\",\"text_style\":\"lead\"}}]}]}],\"name\":\"cta-newsletter\"}],\"version\":\"5.0.37\"} --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>R&#038;R Projektmanagement GmbH 2026 Newsletter. Here you\u2019ll get current insights into our projects, developments and services related to natural stone, installation, renovation as well as technical planning and supervision. We regularly inform about new references, practical solutions and relevant topics from architecture, construction and operations. Stay up to date and receive all important news directly [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2808","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.raddato.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2808","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.raddato.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.raddato.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.raddato.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.raddato.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2808"}],"version-history":[{"count":118,"href":"https:\/\/www.raddato.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2808\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4043,"href":"https:\/\/www.raddato.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2808\/revisions\/4043"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.raddato.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}