Mankato Kasota Gets MIA Top Pinnacle Award (Feb. 16)
The Mankato, Minn., firm received the top honor for its work on the Fortaleza Hall and Commons Building at the SC Johnson global headquarters in Racine, Wis.
Mankato’s Nancy Gulliford and Steve Hewitt accepted the award at the MIA’s annual Awards Luncheon, held during StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas in Las Vegas last month.
A panel of four judges said the Fortaleza Hall and Commons Project was “elegantly and beautifully crafted” with “excellent use of radial cut stone.” In addition to receiving the Grande Pinnacle Award, designed by Tobia Scarpa of Venice, Italy, Mankato Kasota Stone received an all-expense paid trip to Marmomacc 2011 this September in Verona, Italy.
The Grande Pinnacle is one of 13 awards presented this year in the MIA’s Pinnacle Awards competition, which honors projects that demonstrate exceptional beauty, creativity, ingenuity and craftsmanship in the use of granite, marble, travertine, limestone and other natural stones.
The other award winners are:
• Commercial Interior Award of Excellence: TexaStone Quarries of Garden City, Texas, for the Tesoro Headquarters in San Antonio.
• Residential Interior/Exterior Award of Excellence: Stones and Roses International Co. Ltd. of Samutprakam, Thailand, for Villa Mayavee in Phuket, Thailand.
• Renovation/Restoration Awards of Excellence: KEPCO+ of Salt Lake City, Valders Stone & Marble Inc. of Valders, Wis, Vytek Laser Systems of Fitchburg, Mass., and Decoro Art Stone of West Jordan, Utah, for the O.C. Tanner Flagship Jewelry Store in Salt Lake City.
• Commercial Exterior Award of Merit: Las Vegas Rock Inc. of Jean, Nev., for the MGM City Center Aria in Las Vegas.
• Commercial Exterior Award of Merit: TexaStone Quarries for Cedar Hill Government Center in Cedar Hill, Texas.
• Commercial Exterior and Commercial Interior Awards of Merit: SMG Stone Company Inc. of Sun Valley, Calif., for the LA Live Hotel and Residences in Los Angeles.
• Commercial Interior Award of Merit: Stones and Roses International Co. Ltd. or the Sotus International Head Office in Bangkok.
• Renovation/Restoration Award of Merit: Rugo Stone of Lorton, Va. for the Dominican House – Saint Thomas Chapel in Washington.
• Residential Interior/Exterior Award of Merit: Stones and Roses International Co. Ltd. for the Krungthep Kreetha Residence in Bangkok.
• Special Pinnacle Award of Merit for Craftsmanship: Carnevale & Lohr Inc. of Bell Gardens, Calif., for Millard Sheets Mural Restoration at the Chase Bank in Rolling Hills, Calif.
• Special Pinnacle Award of Merit for Sustainability: Architectural Granite & Marble of Austin, Texas, for Pioneer Courage Park in Omaha, Neb.
The following served as judges for the Pinnacle Awards competition: Christian R. Pongratz of Pongratz Perbellini Architects, Verona, Italy; John Cook, FAIA of HGA Architects and Engineers, Minneapolis; Edward Farr of Edward Farr Architects Inc., Eden Prairie, Minn.; and Guido Gliori, Grazzini Brothers & Company, Eagan, Minn., and MIA immediate past president.
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