Rotas: Margraf’s Bianco Carrara Sculpture Redefines Art in Architecture

More than just a company, Margraf is a team of “visionaries” who dare to redefine the rules of marble. A perfect fusion of innovation and craftsmanship transforms stone into 3D coverings, parabolic forms and monumental works. In this dialogue between material and ingenuity, innovation does not replace craftsmanship, it elevates it, creating exceptional works of art that bring a unique, highly distinctive touch to their surroundings.

Rotas is a majestic new creation by Fabio Viale, a true magician of materials. Like a modern-day Michelangelo, he “breathes life into marble” transforming it into breathtaking works such as this giant wheel, over 6 feet in diameter, carved from a single block of Margraf Bianco Carrara.

Viale spent over two years shaping this colossal sculpture, first using Margraf’s sate-of-the-art cutting machines, then finishing it entirely by hand. Every step required extreme precision to avoid cracks and unwanted curves. Weighing 6 metric tons, the sculpture is so perfectly round that it can actually roll down the sidewalk.

The design symbolizes the way the art of racing revolves around human spirituality and the relentless pursuit of progress. The marble tyre’s tread is sculpted with meticulous to detail, even subtle signs of wear are visible on its surface. At the centre, finely carved spokes evoke neoclassical arches and columns supporting a rose window inspired by Gothic cathedrals.

Commissioned in 2020 by Ugo Colombo, Rotas now graces the entrance of a new Jaguar Land Rover dealership in Coral Gables (near Miami, Florida), a striking testament to the union of art, innovation and tradition.