Carving Time: How Marbledworks is Redefining Contemporary Stone Design

In stone, time turns tactile—a rich, enduring record of sediment, intense heat, and tectonic movement pressed into physical matter. At Marbledworks, this deep geological narrative is carried forward into the realm of contemporary design. Operating from a hybrid workshop and office space northeast of Munich, the studio approaches stone not as a rigid, unyielding block, but as an evolving medium capable of astonishing lightness, fluid movement, and architectural grace.

Founded in 2022 by Maximilian Huber and Dominic Kim, Marbledworks oversees the entirety of the creative lifecycle under one roof: from raw material sourcing and conceptual design to meticulous production and finishing. Their striking catalog—featuring the structural rigor of the Hex Table System, the organic, fluid contours of the Jelly side table, and the puzzle-like, assembled fragments of the Triptychon vases—explores the delicate physical tension between weight and airiness. By bridging the gap between digital precision and traditional handcraft, and by engaging in dynamic collaborations with forward-thinking architects and artists, Huber and Kim are transforming stone from a static structural substance into a living, breathing design practice.

Main Facts: The Anatomy of Marbledworks

• Foundation & Leadership: Established in 2022 by Maximilian Huber (who brings a background in finance and a four-generation family lineage in the stone industry) and Dominic Kim (an architect by training).
• Location: Situated northeast of Munich, Germany, operating out of an integrated facility where design offices and heavy production floors share a single roof.
• Materiality & Sourcing: Raw stone is imported from select quarries in Italy, Turkey, and Brazil, while supplementary woodwork and component fabrication are handled by local artisans within a strict 30-kilometer radius.
• Core Collections: The Hex Table System (modular industrial-meets-stone furniture), the Jelly Side Table (organic, tactile forms inspired by nature), and the Triptychon Vases (sculptural objects crafted from stone offcuts).
• Design Philosophy: "Machine-assisted craftsmanship," emphasizing sustainability, longevity, mechanical joinery (screwed rather than glued components for easy transport and repair), and an absolute respect for the finite timeline of natural stone.

Chronology: From Shared Visions to a Munich Workshop

The journey of Marbledworks is rooted in a gradual convergence of distinct professional backgrounds and a shared appreciation for spatial harmony.

The Genesis and Early Intersection

Long before the company was formally conceptualized, Maximilian Huber and Dominic Kim’s paths frequently crossed through mutual friends and family circles. At the time, Kim was deeply immersed in architectural practice, while Huber was working in the financial sector.

"Dominic was in architecture, I was in finance, and through friends and family our paths kept crossing," Huber recalls. The turning point arrived when Kim reached out to discuss interior concepts and furniture design. Given Huber’s deep-rooted family background in the stone industry—spanning four generations—the casual exchange quickly deepened. Within months, the pair made the decisive leap to leave their respective corporate and architectural roles to establish Marbledworks.

Material Research and European Expeditions

Following their launch in 2022, Huber and Kim embarked on extensive research trips across Europe, visiting heritage quarries and high-volume industrial fabrication plants in Italy. This field research proved transformative. Observing the sheer scale of extraction and the consequential by-products of industrial manufacturing opened their eyes to new possibilities.

Rather than viewing stone as a monolithic, finished slab, they began to see industrial offcuts and waste as fertile ground for experimentation. They spent months consulting with specialized glassblowers and metalworkers to understand how stone could coexist, contrast, and converse with other elemental materials.

Establishing the Munich Hub

In establishing their headquarters northeast of Munich, the founders consciously rejected the disconnected supply chains typical of mass-market furniture production. By placing their design studio directly above the active production floor, they fostered an environment of instantaneous feedback. "You can hear the saws, the polishing machines, the cranes," Kim notes. "We walk downstairs to test things in real time."

Supporting Data: The Economics and Mechanics of Stone

To truly understand the ethos of Marbledworks, one must examine the realities of material economy, labor, and production methodologies in the modern design landscape.

The True Cost of Stone

In an era dominated by fast furniture and mass-produced accessories—where consumers can purchase a faux-marble decorative bowl for fifteen euros at a chain store—the public perception of stone has become severely skewed. Huber is vocal about correcting these misconceptions.

"People see a marble bowl for fifteen euros at a chain store and assume stone is cheap," Huber says. "But that price doesn’t reflect labor or origin. Stone is finite. It takes time and skill to handle. People often misunderstand that."

To combat this disposable culture, Marbledworks implements an uncompromising standard of localized production. While the raw stone blocks are procured from globally renowned geological sources in Italy, Turkey, and Brazil, all refining, cutting, and assembly take place in Germany. Local specialized carpenters and stone artisans operate within a tight 30-kilometer radius of the Munich studio, ensuring fair labor practices, minimal transit emissions, and supreme quality control.

The Synthesis of Digital Precision and Handwork

Marbledworks defines its production methodology as "machine-assisted craftsmanship." While modern CNC machinery and heavy industrial saws are necessary to safely cut and shape dense geological matter, the soul of each piece is imparted by the human hand.

• Machinery: Provides structural accuracy, precise dimensional tolerances, and structural integrity.
• The Hand: Delivers tactile character, bespoke finishing, and surface sensitivity. Every single surface is manually finished, leaving subtle, honest traces of its making—edges, joins, and surface textures that reveal how the object came into being.

Furthermore, engineering plays a crucial role in the lifespan of each piece. For complex systems like the Hex Table, components are mechanically secured using screws rather than chemical adhesives. This deliberate choice ensures that tables can be completely dismantled, transported across international borders as owners relocate, and reassembled without compromising their structural integrity.

Official Responses: In Conversation with Maximilian Huber and Dominic Kim

In recent reflections detailing their expanding body of work, the founders articulated the core philosophies guiding Marbledworks.

On the Architectural Entry Point:

"It’s not just about making objects," Kim explains, reflecting on his background in architecture. "It’s about how they sit within space, how they speak to their environment. As an architect, that’s always my entry point."

On the Geological Legacy of Stone:

For Huber, working with stone is an exercise in honoring deep time. "It’s a material that holds time—every block tells a story that began millions of years ago," he shares. "The colors, the grains, the imperfections—they all carry their own logic."

On Material Symbiosis and Waste Reduction:

"Seeing how industrial systems generate their own by-products was eye-opening," Kim notes regarding their quarry visits. "An offcut from one process could become a starting point for another. We began to look at stone not as a static block, but as something open to transformation."

Implications: Sustainability, Permanence, and Future Horizons

The operational model pioneered by Marbledworks carries profound implications for the future of sustainable design, luxury manufacturing, and material responsibility.

Redefining Sustainable Luxury

In contemporary design, "sustainability" is frequently co-opted as a marketing buzzword. Marbledworks re-centers the conversation around material endurance. Because stone is a finite, non-renewable resource extracted from the earth under high environmental costs, the studio believes that the act of consumption must be matched by a corresponding commitment to permanence.

This philosophy is brilliantly embodied in series like the Triptychon vases. Rather than discarding irregular stone offcuts that are too small for large furniture commissions, the studio rescues these fragments, assembling them like intricate stone puzzles. This practice not only minimizes studio waste but reframes imperfection and leftover material as objects of high aesthetic value.

Cross-Disciplinary Collaborations and Spatial Dialogue

Marbledworks operates across three distinct pillars: proprietary collections, custom architectural commissions, and high-profile creative collaborations. A prime example of this outward-looking ethos was their partnership with the Berlin-based architecture studio Gonzalez Haase AAS during Berlin Art Week 2025. By inviting external spatial designers to test radical concepts through their stone infrastructure, Marbledworks ensures that its practice remains dynamic and immune to stagnation.

A Slow Timeline for a Fast World

Ultimately, Marbledworks champions a slow translation of matter into form. In a globalized market that demands instant gratification and rapid inventory turnover, the studio aligns its production timeline with the geological timeline of its primary medium. By crafting objects designed to weather decades of human use, transition effortlessly across international relocations, and be passed down through generations, Huber and Kim are proving that true luxury lies in responsibility, heritage, and uncompromising craftsmanship.