Macael Awards 2024

The Andalusian Businessmen's Association (AEMA) recognises every year, since 1985, the work carried out by companies, people and institutions in favour of the marble industry through the Macael Awards. In the 2024 edition, the winners in each of the sections were the following:

Design Award: Hotel El Fuerte, located in Marbella, designed by the Liev y Rodriguez studio of Marbella, for its complete renovation and transformation through a careful selection of natural stones such as Verde Alpi, Crema Dolmen, Crema Terra, African Canyon granite, green slate and various travertines.

National Award: da-AR Arquitectura and INGEPIEDRA for the renovation of the emblematic building that housed the El Corte Inglés department store in Valladolid. One of the most striking changes of the refurbishment is the transformation of its façade. It has been designed with large pieces of Travertino Almería marble, 3.45 metres high x 1.60 wide and weighing more than 1600 kilograms. The pieces, anchored from slab to slab, with vertical curvatures and indentations, give a timeless beauty, which marks a new milestone in the architecture of the city.

Europa International Award: refurbishment project of the Paleis Het Loo Palace, which houses a museum and exhibition hall on the history of the Dutch Royal family, where the installation of Blanco Macael marble has been the cornerstone of its transformation. With more than 5,000 square metres of new facilities, the new design has focused on preserving the historic charm of the palace through the use of Blanco Macael marble. The stone, which dresses almost all of the spaces, has been installed in flooring, wall cladding in the different rooms and corridors, as well as in fountains and exterior decorative details. The luminosity of the white marble together with the filtration of light through the windows favours the efficiency of the climate control systems designed by the architects.

Asia International Award: Project Managers Nupami BD, for the project ‘Gulshan 2 residence’; a luxury residence in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with an impressive array of materials for numerous applications throughout the house. These include large-format Calacatta Lincoln marble flooring and a sculptural staircase. For the kitchen, cladding and worktops have been designed in a backlit combination of Honey Onyx and White Onyx, while the bathrooms include Calacatta Gold flooring, Blue Roma Quartzite showers, Cyclone marble surfaces, Caspian Grey, Nairobi Grey, Aspen White, Kayak Beige and Montblanc cladding, as well as Arabescato Fantástico in the master suite. A handcrafted washbasin in Emperador Brown is featured on a wall of illuminated Pangea.

Latin America International Award: Private Villa by architect Antonio Lardino, located in Panama City; a work that combines luxury and sophistication through the use of natural materials carefully produced in Macael. Specifically, the project stands out for the application of marbles such as Blanco Macael, Calacatta Lincoln, Negro Bambú, Cipollino Multicolor, granite Taurus Gold, Caliza Alba, Grigio Perla, Pietra Santafiora and different semi-precious stones such as Withe Quartz, Agata Thera and Crystal Quartz.

Sustainability Award: Etown 6 office building by Archetype Architectural Studio, located in the centre of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, a project that has achieved the highest LEED Platinum V4 certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. In total, 5000 and 3000 square meters of Dekton and natural stone have been used, respectively, for various exterior applications and decorative details.

North American International Award: to the architectural firm Tower Pinkster Titus Associates, for the development of the Dekton Sterling ventilated façade of the 180 E. Water Street building in Kalamazoo. Water Street, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA.

International Africa Award: Sandown Mews commercial building, located in Johannesburg, for the façade renovation project, which included 1800 square metres of Dekton Marmorio.

International Middle East Award: Qaryat Al Hidd residential complex in Abu Dhabi, a large-scale project developed by Saadiyat Development and Investment Company. It includes the installation of a 65,000 square metre Dekton ventilated façade, cladding 12 buildings with more than 1,100 flats.

Person of the Year Award: Alfonso Mollinedo Sáenz, of the MOLLINEDO architecture studio, for his outstanding career in vernacular architecture linked to the world of the olive grove.

Communication Award: Modesto Barragán, journalist.

Award for Excellence: Jaime Beriestain Studio, for his outstanding career and contribution to the design industry, where he has managed to combine functionality and aesthetics with an innovative use of natural stone. His work with materials and companies of the Macael Brand are a clear example of his ability to transform spaces into luxury experiences.