Stone of the year 2018

Stone of the Year 2018 is Grey Bohus – Sweden’s most common building stone. It has unique properties, shades, and expressions that make it suitable in all contexts, from castles to cottages.

You see it everywhere. The grey Bohus granite is Sweden’s most widely used building stone, yet from a global perspective it is unique. Together with the red Bohus granite, it forms a sibling pair with a range of colors and properties that are hard to find matched anywhere else in the world. – The stone’s excellent splitability also makes it possible to produce very fine pieces that can then be processed in several different ways, says Kai Marklin, chairman of the Swedish Stone Industry Association “Sveriges Stenindustriförbund”, whose board selects the Stone of the Year.

Jörgen Lundgren, CEO of Hallindens Granit, which quarries Silver Grey Bohus and Tossene Grey Bohus, highlights the many different expressions and “faces” of Bohus granite as one of the stone’s greatest qualities. – It can be processed and transformed in ways that make it work in all contexts and styles, from castles to cottages. We export it to countries all over the world, even to India, which is itself one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of natural stone.

A current example of the many faces of grey Bohus granite is the new Brunkebergstorg in Stockholm, which was recently awarded the Stone Prize. The square’s paving consists of Tossene Grey Bohus in different sizes and finishes: split surface, flamed, and sawn stone. – The square is a kind of sample chart of the many nuances that one and the same type of stone offers through different treatments. It creates life and variation, where both strong contrasts and subtle tones can be perceived in the vibrant surface, explains Åsa Drougge, landscape architect at Nivå Landskapsarkitektur, who worked on the concept and design of the prize-winning square.

From a geological perspective, Bohus granite is one of Sweden’s youngest granites. Its mineral composition creates the shades of color, and like all granites, it is highly resistant to weathering and requires very little maintenance. – Its fine-grained uniformity is a reliable hallmark, giving it such a wide range of uses, from paving stones and facades to sculptures and ornaments, says Kai Marklin.

The jury’s motivation: Sweden’s most common building stone, Grey Bohus, is unique in a global context, with a color palette and properties rarely found anywhere else. And it works in all contexts, from castles to cottages.

Text from the Swedish Stone Industry Association “Sveriges Stenindustriförbund”

Read more here (only available in Swedish)