For centuries, marble has embodied contradictory values. It has been associated with monuments and power, permanence and prestige, often representing the aspiration towards something eternal. Yet contemporary design is increasingly questioning these inherited meanings. At a moment when objects are expected to justify not only their aesthetic presence but also their material and cultural relevance, stone is undergoing an unexpected transformation. 

Rather than celebrating excess or monumentality, a new generation of brands is rediscovering marble through a more intimate lens. The material becomes smaller, quieter and closer to everyday rituals. It is no longer simply carved into spectacular furniture or architectural surfaces, but transformed into objects that accompany daily life while preserving the geological memory embedded within them.

This shift reflects a broader cultural movement. In an era increasingly dominated by digital experiences and dematerialised consumption, natural materials regain significance precisely because they resist standardisation. Their imperfections, veins and inconsistencies become forms of authenticity rather than flaws. Few studios embody this transition as coherently as Bloc Studios.

Founded in Carrara in 2014 by Sara Ferron Cima and Massimo Ciuffi, Bloc Studios was born from a simple yet radical premise: rethinking functional design by moving away from industrial excess while remaining deeply rooted in the territory that has defined marble culture for centuries. Rather than treating Carrara as a source of raw material alone, the studio considers it an active ecosystem of knowledge, craftsmanship and geological heritage.

Its objects transform natural stone into thoughtful pieces for everyday use while preserving the material's inherent character. Every block contains different veins, textures and mineral formations, meaning that each object inevitably becomes unique. Instead of forcing marble into perfect industrial repetition, Bloc embraces variation as an essential part of the design process.

This philosophy has also shaped the studio's collaborations. Rather than working exclusively within the traditional design sector, Bloc Studios has built a network of partnerships that expands the cultural possibilities of stone.

Simone Lorusso: Carrara has produced marble for over two thousand years. How do you negotiate the weight of such an extraordinary heritage while trying to imagine something contemporary?

Sara Ferron Cima: I believe that negotiate with it is a mission impossible. That’s why I don’t seek to draw direct comparisons between the past and the present; it is impossible to view ourselves and our work through a lens that simply measures what was done then against what we create today. From Ancient Rome through the Renaissance, marble was the primary material for monumental architecture and sculpture, prized not only for its durability but also for its remarkable variety. Today, amid a sea of new materials, marble may seem somewhat old-fashioned. Our approach, however, is quite the opposite: we strive to give this timeless material a fresh, contemporary twist. At the same time, one of our greatest challenges is making marble functional in new ways while embracing the very qualities that define it: its weight, fragility, and cost. 

SL: Bloc Studios often speaks about moving away from industrial excess. What does this idea mean in practice when designing an object?

SFC: Our parent company, B.L.C. Carrara, specializes in the international trade of marble. In order to be able to ship marble blocks overseas, they must fit within the dimensions of a standard shipping container (approximately 600 × 230 × 230 cm). As a result, the blocks are often cut to size in our facility. While some of the offcuts cannot be reused, many can, and this realization gave rise to our project: we began by collecting these remnants in our stockyard and exploring ways to transform them into objects that are both intelligent in their use of material and distinctly contemporary in character. 

SL: Every marble block is different. Rather than trying to eliminate these differences, your work seems to celebrate them. Has uniqueness become a form of sustainability?

SFC: Yes, absolutely. If we talk about sustainability, we have to accept and embrace uniqueness more than we usually would. Marble is a natural material, and its blocks cannot be fully controlled or standardized; each one is unpredictable and different from the next. Trying to eliminate these differences would mean going against the very nature of the material itself. This uniqueness is not only inherent in the marble, but it is also an essential part of the process, as every piece is individually finished by hand, making each object truly one of a kind.

"Every designer, architect, or creative brings their own way of thinking and a unique perspective, which, when applied to marble, can open up unexpected directions and lead to possibilities I would have never imagined on my own."

SL: Your collaborations with Sunnei, NM3 and TABLEAU Copenhagen span fashion, experimental furniture and international design. Beyond expanding your audience, what do these collaborations allow you to discover about marble that you couldn't explore within your own practice?

SFC: It is always interesting and challenging to collaborate with studios and practices from different fields. Every designer, architect, or creative brings their own way of thinking and a unique perspective, which, when applied to marble, can open up unexpected directions and lead to possibilities I would have never imagined on my own. At the same time, the dialogue with marble workshops is fundamental to understanding what is truly achievable in terms of production. I particularly love the exact moment when a project confronts the reality of the machines and consequently its limitations. It is in this negotiation between the conceptual idea and the physical reality of marble that the final result comes to life.

SL: Design today often celebrates innovation through new technologies. Your work seems to suggest that innovation can also emerge from working more carefully with existing materials. Do you agree?

SFC: Yes, I believe everyone should approach resources with greater care and awareness. Materials, just like life itself, are limited resources. Technology and innovation often move in the same direction, but sometimes they can also lead us into more complex and delicate territories. Taking marble as an example, the evolution of extraction technologies has allowed us to accelerate the quarrying process in ways that were never possible before. On one hand, this progress has brought significant advantages in terms of efficiency and possibilities; on the other hand, it also raises important questions about consumption, preservation, and the long-term impact on the material and its environment.

"We are a very hybrid project that finds its balance somewhere between industrial design and one-ofa-kind pieces."

SL: Many contemporary brands define themselves through products. Bloc Studios increasingly feels like a research platform. Is that how you see its future?

SFC: Products usually come from large industrial systems and structured production chains. For all the reasons mentioned before, such as uniqueness, craftsmanship and the intrinsic characteristics of the material, I would not necessarily define our pieces as products. At the same time, I would not describe us as a pure research platform neither. We are a very hybrid project that finds its balance somewhere between industrial design and one-ofa-kind pieces. Some people might define what we do as collectible design, others as a brand, and others as a research platform. I believe the reality is a combination of all three: a project that explores the boundaries between design, craftsmanship, and material research. Perhaps we should invent a term for it.

SL: At a time when sustainability dominates the design discourse, marble occupies a complex position. Quarrying is, by definition, an extractive process, and carving a mountain can hardly be considered a sustainable act in itself. How do you approach this contradiction, and what do you think the future of the marble industry should look like?

SFC: Everything is a contradiction. I believe that most of the things we are surrounded by are, in one way or another, the result of processes that are more or less unsustainable. Marble is perhaps just one example of this.The extraction process affects only specific areas of the mountains; not every mountain contains marble deposits, and these deposits are finite resources. There are strict regulations regarding hydrogeological risks, and many quarries are actually closing nowadays. At least here in Carrara, there are numerous rules and controls that must be followed in quarrying activities.

To me, the main issue doesnt’ reside int the extraction itself, but rather in the speed at which extraction happens. More broadly, the speed at which our world operates today is what feels truly unsustainable. The accelerated consumption that we apply to every aspect of our lives is something we need to question and confront. If I think about the purest form of expression within our fields, it would probably be “Art” and the role of “the artists”. But then, who supports and sustains artists? Often, it is wealthy individuals whose own wealth may have been built through choices or systems that are not entirely sustainable.

Perhaps the only way to escape contradiction is to acknowledge it, because maybe the very act of defining something as a contradiction is, in itself, not a contradiction.

"I believe natural stones need to be understood for what they truly are: geological formations created through thousands, and in some cases millions, of years of stratification."

SL: Looking ahead, what role do you think natural stone can play in shaping the future of contemporary design?

SFC: The use of marble in contemporary design needs to move in the opposite direction from how it was used in the past. Historically, marble was employed for monumental projects: enormous columns supporting churches, amphitheatres, and buildings that were often built over centuries. This is something we rarely consider when we stand in front of historical sites. The extraordinary amount of time, knowledge, and craftsmanship invested in these structures elevates not only the architecture itself, but also the people who created it, connecting their work to the present and the future. Contemporary construction, on the other hand, is driven by speed. If a renovation takes three years, we often perceive it as excessively slow. From a certain perspective, this acceleration makes sense, since our perception of time and value is increasingly linked to the amount we can achieve in the shortest possible timeframe.

I believe natural stones need to be understood for what they truly are: geological formations created through thousands, and in some cases millions, of years of stratification. They are rare, extraordinary, and limited resources. For this reason, materials such as marble, onyx, travertine, and others should be carefully considered and thoughtfully dosed within projects and contemporary design. This is, in my opinion, the only possible direction through which we can once again elevate these materials , not by using them in excess for massive projects, but by recognizing their true value, as was done in the past.

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Words: Simone Lorusso
Photo: Margherita Di Battista