Marmeria was born in 2014 from an encounter between Paolo Carli of Luce di Carrara and architect Marco Casamonti of Studio Archea, inspired by a terracotta bookshelf at the Antinori Winery. Reimagined in marble, it became a modular, sculptural system that embodies both tradition and contemporary design.
Ten years later, Marmeria remains a symbol of Luce di Carrara’s Living Marble philosophy: a timeless dialogue between architecture, craftsmanship, and creativity.
Photo Credits : Nicola Gnesi
A Design Born from an Encounter
It was January 28th, 2014.
Paolo Carli, CEO of Henraux and Luce di Carrara, was invited by architect Marco Casamonti, founding partner of Studio Archea, to visit the Antinori Winery: the architectural masterpiece designed by the studio.
Surrounded by the winery’s poetic interplay of architecture, light, and landscape, Carli was captivated by a particular detail: a terracotta modular bookshelf designed by Studio Archea, a system of four interchangeable units conceived to be combined in countless configurations.
Its modular concept allowed each collector to compose a structure as unique as their own space, a vision of design without limits, where creativity and functionality coexist.
Inspired by its form and conceptual freedom, Carli turned to Casamonti and said:
“I want to make it in marble.”
Casamonti, intrigued, replied: “Do you think it’s possible?”
From that exchange, an idea took shape: one that would lead to a lasting collaboration, a friendship, and the birth of an icon of Italian marble design: Marmeria.
Photo Credits : Nicola Gnesi
From Terracotta to Marble: The Birth of Marmeria
Marmeria is a modular bookshelf designed by Studio Archea for Luce di Carrara, first unveiled at Marmomac.
It is an open, self-supporting structure that can be endlessly recomposed through the combination of different modules, generating an ever-changing design and image.
Each module is in four geometric configurations (A–B–C–D) and assembled through the simple overlapping of components: an elegant expression of versatility and balance.
When Paolo Carli and Studio Archea reimagined this concept in marble, the result was extraordinary: a sculptural system that embodies both the strength of tradition and the purity of contemporary design.
Launched in 2015, Marmeria became one of Luce di Carrara’s most iconic design pieces, symbolizing the brand’s Living Marble philosophy: to live with marble, to shape it, and to turn it into new, useful, and timeless forms for contemporary living.
Photo Credits : Nicola Gnesi
A Living Legacy and an Ongoing Dialogue
The collaboration between Luce di Carrara and Studio Archea did not end there. In 2016, Archea also designed the Luce di Carrara showroom, completed in 2018, further consolidating the dialogue between architecture, natural materials, and design that defines the brand’s creative vision.
Today, ten years after its debut, Marmeria remains a bestseller and a symbol of timeless design: an object that transforms every interior into a space of equilibrium, elegance, and meaning. Its geometric purity and modular nature make it both architectural and intimate, urban and domestic, functional and poetic.
More than a bookshelf, Marmeria is a living expression of Italian marble craftsmanship: a story of passion, innovation, and the enduring beauty of stone.
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