General

During the last edition of the Xiamen Stone fair, from 6 to 9 March 2018, simultaneously an exhibition” Stone Infinite-Product Design Show” was held with the objective of highlighting how natural stone could be used to create products of domestic use without excluding the design element, but also without forgetting that the functionality of an object should remain the main objective and, therefore, the appearance should be subject to the limitations of functionality.

In the restaurant “ A Barra”, in Madrid (Spain), which boasts of one Michellin star rating, the central bar is the most striking element of the place ( as suggested by the name “Barra” which mean Bar). Its dimensions and special characteristics, its elaboration, was a real challenge for all those who were involved in the project.

The Xiamen Stone fair, held annually from 6 to 9 March in the Chinese city, has always been an important indicator of the situation of the natural stone industry, not just in China but also in other countries. Normally held soon after the Chinese New Year, with the winter almost over in the northern hemisphere, it is especially important for the sellers of blocks, both marble and granite. During the 4 days duration of the fair those in mining of stone get a fairly reliable indication of what demand for their materials will be in the months ahead.

GLOBAL ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT

Paulo Giafarov dgg@sili.com.br

Chemical engineer and Technician in buildings. Founder of THE DGG ASSESSORIA, a stone consultancy company in 1985. He has wide experience in projects and dealing with architects in Brazil and around the world since 1978.

At the end of a major international fair many people usually make a quick reflection by asking themselves (and others): How was the fair? How is the industry doing? What was new? For the exhibitor, who has usually spent a lot of money, the most important question is obviously- “How many orders did we get? How many enquiries did we get?

How many middle class homes exist on the planet? Perhaps difficult to calculate, since the definition of middle class varies from person to person, country to country. An approximate number, with ' middle class' being defined in the western sense, would perhaps lead to number somewhere between 300 to 500 million. Assuming every such home has a dining table, this would also be the number of dining tables in the world.

One of the most photographed exhibits in the Stona fair in Bangalore, held early February 2016, was the giant sculpture of a lion in granite, made by the Indian company, GTP Granites. How it was made is an interesting story.

Natural stone is more than slabs and tiles, claddings and flooring and countertops. Just have a look at the images below of some of the spectacular and original designs seen in the Xiamen (China) Stone fair held on 6 to 9 March, 2016.