The Australian-based project, New Volumes, exhibits its Collection 01 of Elba marble furniture and objects as part of Local Milan during Milan Design Week.

In conjunction with Fiona Lynch, Creative Director Thomas Coward sought to honor the dense and meticulous labor of Time and Nature that went into forging the precious Elba stone over the ages.

An inaugural collection for the home and office by Artedomus, New VolumesTM explores and pushes the boundaries of a single natural material.

For each collection, the project selects a distinct assembly of designers to bring the material to life. Collection 01 explores Elba: a rich, complex stone 250 million years in the making.

A material with a story, cut by machine and finished by hand into an object whose story is yet to be written.

The result is a collection of products that are sincere, serene and strong.

New Volumes Designers and their Products

Semper Planter & Vase by Dale Hardiman

Comprised of pedestal and planter, these cylindrical forms are designed with minimal design language to allow the solid Elba stone to be the focus.

The full structure of the stone’s grain is visible from all angles — you can see it running an entire 360-degree revolution.

Resting on top of the pedestal, the planter removes any visual impairment between the stone and its plant inhabitant.

A short statured vase made from solid stone in two parts, the Semper vase is designed to highlight fallen leaves and petals through capturing them on its platter.

Doing so, it celebrates both the life and death of its inhabitants.

Wyrie by Nick Rennie

The grandest statement of Collection 01. Precise slabs of Elba unite to form a dining table without comparison.

A slender square table top rests upon a beautifully angular base, inherently durable and with a powerful presence.

Undara by Nick Rennie

Evocative of a volcanic crater, Undara is a fruit bowl with a simple form yet a striking presence.

At 394mm in diameter, its large surface area is distinct in every piece thanks to Elba’s unique grain. Its continuous curve is accentuated with a precision sculpted rim.

Napoleon & Josephine by Sarah King

Used in kitchens for thousands of years, nothing remains more satisfying than this primal way to mix dry ingredients: the mortar and pestle.

King’s take on the kitchen staple is distinctly sculptural, while the natural heaviness of Elba makes for an extra solid base and pleasingly weighty pestle.

Together, they make an extra-effective pairing.

Artemis by Emma Elizabeth

A minimal expression referencing the traditional way in which solid stone is quarried, the Artemis series of offset candle holders cast non-regular rays of delicate light — aiding ambience at any experiential moment.

Bacchus by Tom Skeehan

While built from simple forms, Bacchus is a table that’s intended to spark curiosity.

Comprising three legs, minimal oval top and hollowed bowl cavity, each form unites to create a centrepiece encouraging you to style it in a way that fits your function and curiosity.

Exaggerated proportions and the weight of each element grounds the table, giving it a permanent place in its environment.

Spomenik by Marsha Golemac

A pair of complementary forms, Spomenik Ⅰ and Spomenik Ⅱ are characterised by their graduated volumes, realised through the careful refinement of a single slab of raw stone.

Inspired by modernist monuments built in honour of the historic troubles of the Balkan Peninsula, Golemac draws on a socialist utopian ideology to marry form and function.

As a bowl, vase or objet d’art, each piece references remnants of the past whilst speaking assuredly of the future.

Hurlysi by Thomas Coward

A solid piece of Elba is carved to create a cantilevered resting surface for objects.

This is stone at its purest: simple, distinctive and statuesque.

Lydn by Thomas Coward

Lydn’s exaggerated ripple is representative of both water and sound.

This platter is designed to capture a stylised moment in time, its form creates a sense of movement in an otherwise static material.

The name comes from the Cornish word for lake, reflecting the designer’s heritage.

Hemera by Ross Gardam

Just like the brutalist architecture from 60 years ago that it references, the Hemera desk lamp is powerful in its simplicity of form.

Two solid circular volumes intersect with no overtly visible light source, creating a striking desktop monolith and a lighting device of refined functionality.

The Fuorisalone event, curated by Local Design and Emma Elizabeth, features 44 Australian and New-Zealand designers and design studios that connect Australasian design and its growing identity to a wider audience.