The New Stone Age celebrated structural stone; its potential and beauty as well as its inherent sustainability. Curated by Amin Taha of Groupwork Architects, Steve Webb of Webb Yates Engineers and Pierre Bidaud from The Stonemasonry Company Ltd, the exhibition surveyed the contemporary use of structural stone in international practice.

In the light of the climate crisis the materials that make up our built environment need more than ever to prove their worth. Stone has serious sustainability credentials; with the ability to reduce a project’s embodied carbon by an incredible 90 per cent compared to typical steel or concrete frames.

The curators came together as architect, engineer and craftsman to make 15 Clerkenwell Close – a love letter to structural stone with its limestone façade and fallen Ionic columns where the fossilised coral, ammonite shells, quartz pockets and seams of the material remain. The building is widely recognised as a new London landmark.

The exhibition provided an opportunity to broaden the discussion of stone, to acknowledge past architectural achievements and introduce a new generation of architects pushing the boundaries of what is possible with a material that combines practicality and beauty. The exhibition featured the work of a range of eminent international designers and the associated events programme explored the challenges and opportunities of designing in stone.

Photos by John MacLean.

Exhibition design by Install Archive. 

Graphic Design by Daly & Lyon.