The Macael Awards

were created in 1985 with the aim of recognizing professionals who have stood out in a special way in architecture, crafts, and design nationally and internationally, and people, institutions and the media who have carried out unique actions for the benefit of the industry. Throughout 35 years of existence, the Macael Awards have positioned as the most important event in the natural stone sector at a national level, and they have acquired a important international accent.

Many personalities such as presidents of the Andalusian Government, ministers, and presidents of the Spanish Government of Spain have been at the event. Important architects like Sainz de Oiza, Rafael de la Hoz, Cesar Portela, Alberto Campo Baeza, Ethan Anthony, Joaquín Torres, and Daniel Libeskind. Relevant international institutions such as MIA (Marble Institute of America) or ASID (American Society of Interior Designers), and winners of various kinds, such as Carlos Herrera, Jorge Lorenzo, Karlos Arguiñano, David Bisbal… In addition, the Queen of Spain, Ms. Letizia Ortiz was the presenter of the Macael Awards.

MACAEL AWARDS 2026, XXXIX EDITION

MACAEL MINING PARK | MACAEL, ALMERÍA

The Jury awards the Communication Award to the Macael Mining Park, wich is an initiative that transforms the origins of Blanco Macael marble into an educational experience that brings visitors closer to the history, culture, and productive dimension of this natural stone. Through the restoration of the former Macael Viejo quarry, its traditional workers’ cottages, trails and archaeological remains, the project tells the story of more than two thousand years of marble-related activity. Walkways and viewing platforms allow visitors to discover the traces left by different extraction methods, while an immersive room uses audiovisual content to further interpret the site. The park thus becomes a new space for promoting the Macael Marble Brand, strengthening its tourism, cultural and heritage profile from the very territory where it originates.

APONIENTE RESTAURANT | EL PUERTO DE SANTA MARÍA, CÁDIZ

The Jury awards the Sustainability Award to Aponiente, chef Ángel León’s three-Michelin-starred restaurant, internationally recognised as the World’s Most Sustainable Restaurant and the only establishment in Andalusia to hold this distinction. Designed by architect Basilio Iglesias Lobatón, the project brings together gastronomy, architecture and environmental regeneration within the marshlands of the Bay of Cádiz, where it has contributed to the restoration of more than 20 hectares of degraded ecosystems. Its latest extension incorporates platforms over the tidal pond, featuring island kitchens and tables made from Dekton REM, selected for its durability and resistance to humidity, salinity and outdoor exposure. The project thus combines landscape regeneration, responsible use of resources and the choice of durable materials within a single sustainability strategy.

PATEL PROJECT | FLORIDA, USA

The Jury presents the North America International Award to Patel Project, a private residential project in Florida, developed in collaboration with Stone Tile Group, which stands out for its extensive use of natural stone throughout the main residence, private gym and entrance pavilion. The combination of Absolute Black granite, Silver Pearl granite and Thassos White marble defines the project through striking contrasts in colour, texture and finish, with each material carefully selected to meet the specific requirements of the different architectural elements. The project involved the use of solid stone blocks and slabs of varying thicknesses, with a total volume of 80 m³ of stone blocks and 1,900 m² of slabs. Stonework was integrated into the project from its earliest stages, encompassing technical consultancy, digital scanning of the structure, preparation of detailed cutting and installation drawings, coordination of anchoring systems, and precision fabrication of each element, ensuring seamless continuity and an accurate fit during on-site installation.

NOVUS FUNDIDORA | MONTERREY, MÉXICO

The Jury awards the Latin America International Award to Novus Fundidora, a vertical mixed-use residential development designed by Vidal Arquitectos that reinterprets Monterrey’s industrial identity through contemporary architecture, where materiality, functionality and permanence form part of a unified strategy. The project incorporates 17,000 m² of Dekton Umber in a ventilated façade, creating a continuous building envelope with warm, understated tones that engage with the character of its surroundings. Its reduced thickness, combined with the material’s strength, stability and durability, enables a large-scale intervention to be executed with high construction precision and reduced maintenance requirements. The use of large-format surfaces visually minimises joints and creates continuity across the façade, preserving both its appearance and performance over time.

MOMENT | BAT YAM, ISRAEL

The Jury awards the Middle East International Award to the Moment project, an urban regeneration and mixed-use development comprising four 36-story towers housing 714 homes, alongside offices, retail spaces, nurseries and public facilities. The project, designed by the architectural firm Giora Gur, incorporates 83,000 m² of Dekton on façades, flooring, interior cladding and countertops, using different colours and thicknesses. The installation of the façades presented particular challenges due to the height of the buildings, their proximity to the sea and the format of the panels; these were resolved using a combination of ventilated facade in different anchoring systems: 8 mm visible clamps, 12 mm concealed Keil anchoring and 8 mm Dekton integrated in curtain wall. The solution combines technical precision, durability and aesthetic uniformity in a large-scale urban development.

RENOVATION OF THE HISTORIC PASEO GENERAL MUÑOZ-COBO | ARJONA, JAÉN

The Jury awards the National Award to the renovation of Paseo General Muñoz-Cobo, known as Paseo Viejo, designed by Mensulae | Arquitectura & Patrimonio and promoted by Arjona City Council. The intervention restores this historic space, one of the town’s main meeting places, while preserving its traditional layout and heritage elements and incorporating criteria of accessibility, durability and construction quality. Natural stone plays a central role, both structurally and compositionally, through the combination of more than 2,600 m² of 4 cm-thick Sierra Elvira grey marble and Alborán cream marble paving. The chromatic and geometric arrangement of both materials structures the space and reinforces its urban identity, integrating the municipal coat of arms and motto directly into the paving through Water Jet and CNC machining.

ALMERÍA CITY COUNCIL

The Jury awards the Institution Award to Almería City Council, whose transformation of Paseo de Almería represents a large-scale commitment to natural stone closely connected to the territory. The ‘City of Squares’ project renovates 26,089 m² of the capital’s main urban thoroughfare, using locally quarried travertine as the unifying element across paving, squares, landmark entrances, fountains and gathering spaces. More than 23,000 m² of stone, worked in different formats, tones and finishes, replace a significant proportion of the asphalt and create a continuous urban landscape. Its origin in the Macael Marble Region, together with its durability and versatility, also contributes to a more accessible, permeable and sustainable urban model, turning the Paseo into an urban showcase for the contemporary possibilities of natural stone.

AZHADI WINERY | KELOWNA, CANADA

The Jury awards the Design Award to the distinctive Azhadi Winery, a project characterised by a strong architectural identity, a recognisable silhouette and a carefully conceived continuity between exterior and interior spaces. Across its approximately 2,322 m², Dekton plays an essential role in defining the project’s material language. The façade incorporates 762 m² in Argentium and Helena, while 1,096 m² of interior flooring is finished in Albarium and Zenith. This combination extends a consistent aesthetic language across different applications and reinforces the visual relationship between spaces. The project is completed with Silestone surfaces at the reception desk, integrated into a design in which material, geometry and architecture form part of a unified expression.

THE LIBRARY PROJECT | FLORIDA, USA

The Jury awards the Excellence Award to this private library, crafted entirely from Belim limestone, which involved reinterpreting a design originally conceived in woodwork to make it technically feasible in dimensional stone. The project required the development of custom profiles, thicknesses, joints and assembly systems, as well as a demountable modular system for 13 shelving units, one of which is integrated into a spiral staircase, and four curved modules on the upper floor. Each shelf features a precisely machined recess set at a 20-degree angle to accommodate concealed LED lighting, along with internal channels for electrical wiring, all individually coordinated for each component. All modules were pre-assembled prior to installation to verify tolerances, connections and the assembly sequence. In total, approximately 35 m³ of Belim limestone blocks were used.

3rd Spanish Legion Tercio “Don Juan de Austria” and “La Desértica” Sports Club

The Jury awards the Social Commitment Award to the “Don Juan de Austria” 3rd Tercio and its “La Desértica” Sports Club, in recognition of its close ties with the Macael Marble Region and its contribution to promoting Macael natural stone. Since the first edition of La Desértica, its trophies have been crafted from Macael natural stone, bringing the material to thousands of national and international participants and associating it with values such as effort and perseverance. This relationship is further strengthened by the Cristo de la Buena Muerte in Olula del Río, carved from White Macael marble and inaugurated by the Spanish Legion, symbolising the enduring ties between the institution and the region.