Picco Group receives 2022 Grande Pinnacle Award

Oberlin, Ohio—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, Mich.

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 700mm, 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, Mich.
Picco Group
Concord, Ontario, Canada 

Architectural Carving/Lettering/Sculpture

John F. Kennedy Center Hall of Nations Engraving
Washington, D.C.
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, Tenn.
IMS Masonry
Lindon, Utah 

Commercial Interior

95 State Street
Salt Lake City, Utah
KEPCO+
Salt Lake City, Utah

Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel and Century Plaza Towers
Los Angeles, Calif.
SMG Stone Company
Sun Valley, Calif. 

Kitchen/Bath

Boyce Resident Kitchen
Huntsville, Ala.
Ceramic Harmony
Huntsville, Ala. 

Volpe Residence Kitchen
Bluffton, S.C.
StoneWorks
Bluffton, S.C. 

Public Landscapes/Parks/Memorials

Expedia World Headquarters Water Feature
Seattle, Wash.
Western Tile & Marble Contractors
Redmond, Wash.

Garden of Serena Williams Nike World Headquarters
Beaverton, Ore.
Bestview International
Glenview, Ill. 

Renovation/Restoration

Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes
Spokane, Wash.
Mario & Son
Liberty Lake, Wash. 

Chase Tower Granite Cladding Repairs
Houston, Texas
Camarata Masonry Systems
Houston, Texas 

Moynihan Train Hall
New York, N.Y.
Swenson Stone Consultants
Hanover, N.H.

Miller Druck Specialty Contracting
New York, N.Y.
Tennessee Marble Company
Friendsville, Tenn. 

Tribune Tower
Chicago, Ill.
Galloy & Van Etten
Chicago, Ill.

Two Bryant Park
New York, N.Y.

Euromarble
Carrara, Italy
Wilkstone
Paterson, N.J. 

Residential Interior/Exterior Single Family

Ancestral River of Destiny
Bozeman, MT
Ancient Art of Stone
Cowichan Bay, British Columbia, Canada 

Inspiration Home
Homewood, Ala.
Triton Stone Group
Harahan, La. 

Pacific Heights Palazzo
San Francisco, Calif.
QuarryHouse
San Anselmo, Calif.

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).