Mgi Group - Caldia, the pristine marble [EN]

Caldia® “The pristine marble”

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– MGI Group

There is something special about the Apuan Alps, the "moon mountains". In this area the extraction of ornamental stones has a centuries-old history, with the production of a great variety of marble that is unmatched elsewhere. Apuan Caldia® stands out for its value and interest, a contemporary material of excellence in the range of 'whites'. It is extracted in the Rocchetta area, located about 10 km from the town of Massa in the province of Massa Carrara, from which the quarry, which MGI owns, takes its name. Going up the rib of Monte Brugiana, a narrow road leads to the Casette suburb, in the Municipality of Massa, where the quarry is located, geologically a limestone from the Liassic period. The axial termination of the Carrara structure, universally known for housing white marble deposits, the most valuable, is to be found in the Rocchetta valley.

The evocative and fascinating mainly open and partly underground quarry produces large blocks in different varieties united by their 'warm white' background but differing in patterns and veins. One of the world’s most sought after and select marbles of great quality is the Statuario Caldia®. The Rocchetta quarry is a very valuable mining area: once this marble bed was divided into small lots assigned to different owners; today, after the acquisition in the early 2000s by the company in which MGI is a stakeholder, the quarry has been uni ed, and only in this way has it been possible to have it produce to its maximum potential. Excavation - at 875 metres above sea level evolves on three fronts, in an environment designed by the unprecedented vertical and horizontal geometries of the marble bench walls. Here everything has a discreet charm, its true soul is reserved, intimate. The extracted material is particularly elegant: through its originality, it nds international markets and approval and has been used for important projects all over the world.

What makes it special is its warm background, hence the name, which together with its classic style as a noble stone par excellence introduces a new idea of luxury, blending past and present in casual and re ned contemporary aesthetics. Its depth is the distinctive feature that best expresses the power of nature, adapting to different living environments, from the most cherished

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and re ned lobby to the warmth of a residential living area

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Introducing Caldia® quarry.

al calore di un living residenziale

EXTRACTION

Extraction follows diversi ed excavation fronts proceeding from top to bottom until reaching the nal height, coinciding with the quarry yard. Cultivation proceeds based on the lithotypes and their age and on the basis of the geometric position, identi ed through a preliminary phase of geological prospecting, mainly of research, and by a phase of mineral prospecting, i.e. assessment of the extent and depth of surface manifestations, as well as an economic estimate of the quantities of

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material that can be obtained from the deposit

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forza della natura, adattandosi ai diversi ambienti dell’abitare, dalla lobby più ricercata e raf nata

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Quarrying operations are strictly regulated to secure the health and safety of all workers and visitors and to reduce the environmental impacts.

from the working face by cutting upstream, overturning the bench wall onto the quarry yard, squaring into blocks. Once the block has been isolated from the rock mass, it is overturned onto the quarry yard suitably prepared with the so-called 'cushion' consisting of a heap of marble debris mixed with the mud produced by the processes whose function is to cushion the fall to limit breakage. The detachment takes place with the thrust of the excavator arm and also thanks to the pressure of the water through hydraulic bearings - inserted directly into the space left by the diamond wire cutting - which help push the bench to the ground. The cuts are made with diamond wire which constitutes, together with the chain cutter, one of the two main technologies.

The chain cutting machine is a machine that follows the operating principle of chainsaws compared to which it is much larger. It consists of a drive unit to which a movable arm is connected on the perimeter of which a toothed chain is housed. This arm, together with the chain equipped with cutting tools (segments), is the element that physically penetrates the rock, causing its progressive cutting. Once the cuts have been completed and the bench has been pulled down, the inspection and division into commercial blocks begins. These operations on the quarry yard constitute the rst phase of the industrial transformation of marble, which is followed, in the factory, by sawing

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and other nishing operations

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The excavation process takes place in successive phases which involve detaching the material

Once brought down, the next step is to reduce regular blocks into large slabs with variable thickness, from which it is possible to obtain a wide range of nished products. The MGI Group plant covers an area of almost 70.000 m2 which includes a storage area for blocks and slabs of approximately 10.000 m2, a processing area with attached showroom and a laying area

FINISHING The surface processing of the rough slabs is done through the fully automatic polishing line, which allows any type of nish to be given to the material. The polishing process brings out the colour and the natural veins, while the smoothing consists in making the surface smooth, perfectly at and non-re ective opaque

The surface nishing phase has the task of combining the aesthetic requirements (e.g. colour, hue, specularity) with the technical ones (e.g. anti-slip power, reduction of absorption, resistance to chemical agents) and with functional ones (e.g.

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usability, cleanability, maintainability)

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SAWIN

Continuing through the work cycle, surface nishing is followed by cutting to size, the phase in which the slabs are trimmed to the nal size. The cut made with the diamond disc cutter allows products of various sizes to be obtained. Using this machine, the marble can even be sawn to considerable thicknesses, thus satisfying various production needs in a exible and versatile way

The contouring machine is useful for pro ling and shaping, even on inclined planes. Multiple processes can be set: roughing, drilling, hollowing and polishing, optimizing the execution process

The diamond disc is also used for square cutting of the material on multi-disc machines. The automatic 'multiple end milling' line mounts several independent cutting units and is used for the transversal or longitudinal cutting of slabs in a single passage FINISHINGS The nal hand nishing gives the surface of the material new

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sensory, visual and tactile qualities

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CUTTING

1. Selection of samples to de ne the material 2. Fabrication of mock-ups to determine the range of quality 3. Once the material is approved, production starts according to received cutting tickets 4. Dry lay each section of the project in the 1,000 m2 designated area to ensure that the material matches the selected quality 5. Mark and label each piece before packing to allow a faster installation on the job site

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6. Slabs and nished products are carefully packed and identi ed by barcode and packing list.

Speci c solutions and transport companies operating in the stone sector are used to guarantee protection and safety up to installation, thus preserving the beauty of the marble and reducing the risk of chipping and damage

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Project processing.

Caldia® marble’s peculiarities can be summed up in 5 keywords, in the name of contemporaneity Warm beauty. The main feature is the extreme purity of the crystalline background whose very particular hue offers a softer effect than the 'optical white’ New classic. Elegant in its simplicity, it blends harmoniously in sophisticated contexts but also casually when combined with less exclusive materials, for informal and codi ed aesthetic effects with an interesting dialectic Seductive brightness. It gives every room an unparalleled brightness, which visually expands the space giving it a clean and pure impression. Thin thicknesses (less than 25 ÷ 15 mm) let the light pass through, thus giving it a certain translucency Elastic properties. In addition to the excellent aesthetic qualities, it also stands out for its unique technical characteristics. It is in fact particularly ductile and workable, with good mechanical resistance.

Solid eternity. Beautiful and resistant, it conveys traditional insistence with elegant topicality but also more decisive creative impulses for new generation spaces, the result of unprecedented and courageous combinations.

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Calacatta Caldia® - Ovulato

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Calacatta Caldia® - Classico

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Statuario Caldia®

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Unique features.

Cal’dor® - Gold

A material with an exceptionally ne and compact grain, available in two types. White, with an ivory white background and Gold, with golden shades, both with green-purple veins green-purple veins in an egg-shaped structure. With its enveloping colors, it is especially suitable for interior oors and walls. It combines very well with marbles and onyxes and it is perfect with different materials such as woods or metals. The blurred design lights up the imagination of architects and designers.

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The marble textures that bring to the fore the chic trend of expressing the potential of nature to its fullest, seduce interiors in a sophisticated way. Pleasing to the touch and original visual effects are the most interesting qualities obtained from new surface processing, often in combination with a signi cant improvement to the technical properties of the material (such as resistance to atmospheric agents and absorption). The "natural" or "raw" appearance is therefore the result of a precise aesthetic choice that draws the primitive state of the material closer, but which at the same time enhances the inevitable "signs" of its processing. MGI offers the opportunity to create a variety of new nishes, referring to the type of sensory stimulation - "effect" - they produce in the observer. With one goal: to explore sensory qualities capable of 'being remembered', in line with

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the new decor trends.

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Cal’dor® - White

Caldia® marble is widely used in sophisticated and elegant environments, both for public and/or commercial spaces and for private contexts such as residential homes. Lobby, panels for oors and walls, kitchen tops, bathroom tops, stairs, shower trays, building products and cultural works.

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In a perfect balance between the linearity of the design and the naturalness of the decoration

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Creating atmosphere.

Statuario Caldia® True White is the inspiration for the visually striking lobbies of One Vanderbilt, the new, most extraordinary, skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan. With the aim of bringing beauty into everyday life, at the crossroads of executive power and aesthetic distinction, the fruitful collaboration with the prestigious Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) architecture rm and the developers of SL Green and Hines arose. A peculiar element of the lobby in front of Grand Central Station are the 7 majestic columns, each up to 15 meters high with a diameter of about 2 meters and inclinations from 1 to 3 degrees, following the pro le of the building’s main façade Starting from the selection of large blocks of quality Caldia® marble, concave panels of variable thickness have been obtained. For the production process, the trend of the vein inside the block was conjectured with 3D simulations and special tools were created that are modelled for the curved surface, to optimize the surface nishes. Research has focused on achieving maximum technical and aesthetic performance, mixing excellent resistance performance with the eternal beauty of marble. Beauty not to be wasted: MGI - always attentive to the optimization in using the

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material - by designing the progression of the cut within the block, has reduced the waste by about 30%.

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One Vanderbilt.

When the research of the material crosses the research of planners, architects and designers from all over the world, a spark is triggered that produces a chemistry that is always different, an energetic and emotional synthesis dif cult to stem. Caldia® Cube is an example of this: an original experimentation project created from the collaboration with the German exhibition manufacturer Wolf Günter Thiel. 3 artists, 3 designers and 3 architects were invited to create an object of their choice from a Caldia® marble cube each with 30 cm long sides. Each of the objects created was produced in a limited edition of 5 pieces exhibited in different countries The constant desire to experiment fuels the magic, something for which one comes and continues to come to these mountains to see, know, try to understand, invent. To seal the uniqueness of Caldia® marble - which is only extracted from the Rocchetta quarry - the evocative setting where the material is excavated was chosen. Caldia White Event, a magical evening in a unique place in the world transformed for the occasion into a real living room with white armchairs, marble tables and a large fan built ad hoc with Caldia® blocks, welcomed over 200 protagonists of the Apuan-

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Versilia marble sector

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Open innovation.

Unique pieces. Elegant materials. Timeless beauty. These keywords de ne MGI, a solid Italian company Group among the leaders of the Italian marble industry for over 70 years. A long history with many challenges, from 1948, that led MGI to be quali ed, thanks to constant evolution and growth, as a solid entrepreneurial reality. The Group includes Sicilmarmi Srl, founded in Sicily

by Mr. Giacomo Caruso, Cavaliere Del Lavoro, with the extraction of Perlato Sicilia Cofano® from the Custonaci (TP) quarry; Lombarda Marmi Srl, excellence in the extraction of Botticino Classico®; Marmi e Graniti d’Italia Srl, specialized in the worldwide supply of semi- nished and finished cut-to-size products for high-end interior design projects, from London to Dallas to New York City.

The direct selection of the raw material, the highly quali ed specialized skills, the elegance and the attention to detail are the fundamental concepts on which the MGI Group is based. The development of advanced technologies and the aesthetic research together with the passion for artisan tradition are the essence of business growth and global expansion. MGI Group performs all phases of marble processing, from the extraction to the nished product, according to the ISO protocols and with a careful eye toward the environmental impact resulting from stone processing.

The direct control on raw material allows the monitoring of all the production phases, from the block to the cut-to-size pieces. The ongoing investments in research and development guarantee the highest production standards.

For decades, the MGI Group has supplied its materials - extracted from the own quarries - for some of the world’s most exclusive buildings and residencies. From the pristine Statuario Caldia® and Calacatta Caldia® to the unmistakable Bianco Carrara and Lapys Grey®, from the resistant Perlato Sicilia Cofano® and Riviera Beige® to the renowned Botticino Classico® and Verde Issorie®, all these materials represent the quintessence of the “Made in Italy” as symbol of unparalleled beauty, excellence and reliability and are the evidence of MGI’s ambition to enhance

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the image of Italian marble by offering high quality products.

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MGI Group. Shaping marble in a surprising fusion of alluring architecture and new technologies.

leads to unique results, achieved thanks to a great attitude for innovation. The key concepts of the Group's professionalism meet today the digital challenges of the third millennium. By exploring new and courageous achievements, the MGI Group extends the purchase opportunities opening a new Online Showroom (www.marmiegraniti.online) a digital bridge between real and virtual world that offers a privileged showcase to make the selection of the available slabs easier, faster and direct.

MGI supplies slabs, tiles and cut to size products. The key to realize a prestigious stone project is the selection of the raw material directly at the source to ensure large quantities and high quality, two crucial issues for large-scale projects. So the availability of the blocks and the special combination of experience and skill in extracting and processing stone are MGI’s strength, wisely used in collaborating with architects, project managers and constructors to create new and exclusive solutions. An evolving path and a constant research expressed in timeless high-end architectural projects, in elegant shapes and in every detail revealing a beautiful obsession: excellence.

Listed below are some of the designers and contractors, which the MGI Group works with, providing goods and assistance on a wide range of materials, in addition to those extracted from the own quarries: Brook eld • Foster+Partners • Gensler • Goddard Littlefair • Hines • KPF • MdeAS • Pei Cobb Freed • Pelli Clarke Pelli • Perkins Eastman • Perkins+Will • Peter Marino • Pickard Chilton • Plaza Construction • RAMSA • Related • Rudin Management • SLGreen • SOM •

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The GA Group • Tishman • Turner • Vornado • Zeckendorf Development • 1508 STUDIO

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The special combination of experience and sensitivity in quarrying and processing natural stone

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Thank you!

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