PICCO Group Receives 2022 Grande Pinnacle Award
Words: Tim O'tooleOberlin, OH, February 14, 2023– The winners of the 2022 Pinnacle Awards were announced during the Natural Stone Institute Awards Ceremony at StonExpo in Las Vegas. Twenty projects were honored with Pinnacle Awards of Excellence. The 2022 Grande Pinnacle Award was presented to PICCO Group for their work on the Utopia project in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is home to a new experience. “Utopia” features the unique and diverse faces of women from around the world in Jaume Plensa’s signature style. The floor-to-ceiling walls are made from Blanc Absolute Marble. Grounded and permanent, no single piece is identical to the next.
Efforts required early engagement at the project’s most critical time. PICCO’s considerations for material extraction and handling, cubic geometry studies, stone engineering, installation, and fabrication proved intrinsic to meeting the delicate project requirements and high standards. The sculpture’s design required precision engineering and innovation with every solution. With stone panels up to 4,200 kgs and thicknesses exceeding 700 mm, a robust but simple steel frame system was designed for primary lateral support. Disc-shaped lateral connections proved efficient and timesaving. The essence of this sculpture will endure as a testament to Women & Humanity and Art & Architecture for generations to enjoy.
Grande Pinnacle
Utopia
Grand Rapids, MI
PICCO Group
Concord, Ontario, Canada
Architectural Carving/Lettering/Sculpture
John F. Kennedy Center Hall of Nations Engraving
Washington, DC
Rugo Stone
Lorton, VA
National Museum of the United States Army
Fort Belvoir, VA
Rugo Stone
Lorton, VA
Venerable Cornelia Connelly Shrine
Philadelphia, PA
Rugo Stone
Lorton, VA
Commercial Exterior
Leonildo Pieropan Winery
Soave, Italy
Grassi Pietre
Nanto, Italy
Nicholas S. Zeppos College Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
IMS Masonry
Lindon, UT
Commercial Interior
95 State Street
Salt Lake City, UT
KEPCO+
Salt Lake City, UT
Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel and Century Plaza Towers
Los Angeles, CA
SMG Stone Company
Sun Valley, CA
Kitchen/Bath
Boyce Resident Kitchen
Huntsville, AL
Ceramic Harmony
Huntsville, AL
Volpe Residence Kitchen
Bluffton, South Carolina
StoneWorks
Bluffton, South Carolina
Public Landscapes/Parks/Memorials
Expedia World Headquarters Water Feature
Seattle, WA
Western Tile & Marble Contractors
Redmond, WA
Garden of Serena Williams Nike World Headquarters
Beaverton, OR
Bestview International
Glenview, IL
Renovation/Restoration
Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes
Spokane, WA
Mario & Son
Liberty Lake, WA
Chase Tower Granite Cladding Repairs
Houston, TX
Camarata Masonry Systems
Houston, TX
Moynihan Train Hall
New York, NY
Swenson Stone Consultants
Hanover, NH
Miller Druck Specialty Contracting
New York, NY
Tennessee Marble Company
Friendsville, TN
Tribune Tower
Chicago, IL
Galloy & Van Etten
Chicago, IL
Two Bryant Park
New York, NY
Euromarble
Carrara, Italy
Wilkstone
Paterson, NJ
Residential Interior/Exterior Single Family
Ancestral River of Destiny
Bozeman, MT
Ancient Art of Stone
Cowichan Bay, British Columbia, Canada
Inspiration Home
Homewood, AL
Triton Stone Group
Harahan, LA
Pacific Heights Palazzo
San Francisco, CA
QuarryHouse
San Anselmo, CA
The Natural Stone Institute would like to thank the 2022 Pinnacle Award sponsors: Marmomac (Grande Pinnacle Award), GranQuartz (Residential Awards), Coldspring (Renovation/Restoration Awards), and Cactus Stone (Kitchen/Bath Awards). To learn more about each project, visit www.naturalstoneinstitute.org/pinnaclewinners.
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About the Natural Stone Institute
The Natural Stone Institute is a trade association representing every aspect of the natural stone industry. The current membership exceeds 2,000 members in over 50 nations. The association offers a wide array of technical and training resources, professional development opportunities, regulatory advocacy, and networking events. Two prominent publications–the Dimension Stone Design Manual and Building Stone Magazine–raise awareness within the natural stone industry and in the design community for best practices and uses of natural stone. Learn more at www.naturalstoneinstitute.org.