Beneath the Surface Blog

As the counterpoint to our blog post “5 Reasons For Designers To Love Faux Stone Panels”, today we take on the alternate perspective and illustrate the benefits of natural stone panels. Given that this succeeding post quickly catapulted to twelve points, which I narrowed to six here, it’s pretty clear which material we regard as a superior architectural solution.

Here are the criteria which make glass-backed natural stone panels a superior architectural solution:

1. Backlighting and optical clarity

When backlighting panels for feature areas, natural translucent stone panels take on a sparkling appearance that is a result of the crystalline graining that formed in the stone over thousands (or millions) of years. With glass-backed exotic stones, such as onyx, the stone layer can be thinned from 1 mm to 12 mm, allowing much light but still retaining the visual effect of naturally layered depth. Most man-made faux stone panels tend to lack natural depth, appearing flat and dull when illuminated with a backlighting source.

2. Large Panel Sizes

If you’re designing for a large scale installation or simply want to minimize joints, natural stone panels can be sourced in very large sizes. It depends on the variety of stone, but we’ve utilized exotic onyx and marble panels up to 5’ x 10’. Acrylic or poured resin stone panels tend to be limited to standard sheet sizes. Even if the man-made products are thickened to increase rigidity and yield a larger panel, the additional surface thickness interferes with light transmission. With glass-backed natural stone surfaces, larger panels are created by simply increasing the thickness of the glass backing, preserving the translucency of the stone layer at only millimeters thin.

3. Natural Variation

Acrylic and resin stone panels are standardized into existing collections, offering limited selections of coloration and patterning. Each panel has the same patterning, yielding repetitive images. By using natural stone panels, visual characteristics vary within the slab itself and across the larger scale, creating unique fluctuation within installations. Natural veins and movement are reflected as dynamic bookmatched images across panel joints.

4. Longevity

Natural stone is classic, elegant, and distinct. For quality design features that withstand time, natural stone panels open up the most possibilities in creating enduring spatial elements. Onyx panels sustain their quality, with no evidence of surface degradation over time and very little maintenance required.

5. Exterior use

To our knowledge, there are no translucent faux stone materials that are rated for exterior applications. Glass-backed natural stone can be used in exterior curtainwall applications and as part of insulated glazing units. This only holds true for high quality fabricators with thorough testing, so use discrimination when selecting a source for exterior panels.

6. Uniqueness

Real stone is a product of Mother Nature, and each slab for each project is unique unto itself. Your client becomes the proud owner of a truly unique work of art.

--> I’d like to thank @whysideas for engaging in an interesting Twitter conversation in reaction to our first blog post. There’s something to be said for authenticity in architecture. Cheap materials and quick solutions show a sort of short-sightedness on the architect’s part, and if you’re not careful, technological capabilities can distort the appropriate contextual solution for a project. As @whysideas stated, “technological advances are so important but should give physicality to the architect’s imagination, not dictate it”. Our advice? Have some patience to allow your designs to unfold, and dedicate your time to implementing high quality materials that meet their intended use and will enhance the image of your space.

Expand your design palette with imaginative interior feature wall products. Stone, wood, and light are three basic elements of nature. Layer them into an integrated assembly, and the visual effect is stunning.

A sleek alternative to backlit onyx mosaics, these backlit stone and wood screen panels create extravagant patterns for an interior feature walls and ceilings.  Combining illumination, translucency and pattern, the layered panels illuminate without evidence of structural shadows or untidy grout joints.

Above: Flat-Lite™ LED Light Panel

Flat-Lite™ LED Light Panel + DURA-Lite™ Translucent Glass-Backed Stone

Custom laser cut wood screens (available in any custom pattern or lettering)

Flat-Lite™ + DURA-Lite™ + Custom Wood Screen

In an interplay between organic veins and geometric repetition, the wood screens frame the natural movement of the onyx. Backlit illumination increases the contrast between the surface materials, providing an intriguing focal point for commercial and hospitality spaces.

In studying our website metrics that indicate which keywords our visitors are searching for, it’s mind-boggling how many designers are searching for answers to detailing backlit panels. And while we love to stock our website full of useful information that makes it easy for busy designers to quickly understand and specify our systems, typical details can sometimes actually hurt the process.

When backlighting architectural panels, there are many considerations that affect the arrival at a detail.   It’s a process that we forge through per job.  As an architect or designer, can you imagine if your potential clients (developers or building owners) called you up and asked to see a typical floor plan from your firm? Sure, there is a general aesthetic and personality to your design process, but each solution is generated by working through several design phases/iterations, and that’s what makes the finished project unique. A single floor plan doesn’t fully do justice to all of the variables that affected that final solution. That’s how much attention and iteration goes into one of our details; they’re like our blueprints.  

Here is a wall section detail we generated for a specific project that incorporated backlit onyx panels. The variables:

• Surface type and translucency levels
• Surface thickness
• Light source (method, panel sizes, color temperature, brightness)
• Necessary diffusers
• Structure and fastening method
• Ideal spacing between elements (this can only be derived from physical testing)

As you can see,we develop our details based on the above considerations, and they must be considered holistically to achieve high-quality finished works.

The honest truth? For backlighting architectural panels, you don’t need typicals. Rely on a company's portfolio and expertise to trust that they will arrive at an equally thoughtful solution for your backlit project.

Learn more about our custom solution for the backlit onyx lobby features at the Wells Fargo Center:

We've enjoyed sharing our image library with you. Here is a recap of the main color ranges we explored:

1. Green onyx panels

2. Red onyx panels

3. Honey onyx panels

4. White onyx panels

For everything in between, there's always alternative stone types (such as blue marble), color filters, and man-made agglomerates to achieve the exact hue you're searching for!

As we continue to spark your imaginations with stone slab images from our photo library, today we explore backlit red onyx.

From pale pinks interlaced with ivory to blood red interspersed with clear crystal, red onyx is the most ephemeral stone.

On the softer side, pink and peach toned clouds float among ivory, giving the stone a dreamy air. With the appropriate backlighting strategy, these stone panels take on a soft glow that brings out the detail in the lighter portions of the slab.

When sharper, deeper reds are used with clearly defined crystals, the stone erupts into an explosion of color and beauty.  When deep red onyx is backlit, the individual crystals are further emphasized and the color contrast intensifies.

Which color palettes do you most often use in commercial design? Continue to stay tuned for more inspiration!

A photo update of our installation progress on-site in Norfolk, Virginia (see the Wells Fargo project rendering for the final vision). Most of the steel has been installed and a few FLAT-Lite™ LED panels were tested.  Everything fit together perfectly and it looks like the columns will be installed tomorrow.


The reception wall (above) had some framing adjustments, which pushed back the column installation.  Steel and LED panels for reception wall will be going up today, translucent stone panels tomorrow.


All of the DURA-Lite™ panels are prepped, mechanical fasteners are aligned and secured, ready for installation.


Framing out the square lobby columns (above) in preparation for hanging our stone panels. 


All of Terry's precise work and attention to detail in the framing systems and it's soon going to be covered up with the stunning Mercury onyx panels! Check back soon for even more progress on the finish surfaces and lighting systems.

2. The orange Mercury onyx that the designers chose for this project is pretty unique (see below photograph of the unlit stone) and is sure to look gorgeous all lit up.  Can’t wait to get those stone photos up on the website!

3. All of the corners are meticulously quirk mitered and have been detailed down the the millimeter, so the vertical reveals are a clean architectural detail.

4. The tolerances on our products are pretty low, so the size of all the stone panels, LED panels, trims, and fasteners have also been detailed down to the mm before production.

5. We’ve gone to great lengths to make sure the book matched  seams are perfect.  So we’ve been harping on our stone guys to make the perfect cuts and account for stone waste.

6. Every single component will arrive on site at the same time; stone, LED panels, wiring, all of our tools, our crews, even stainless steel trims.  That’s a whole lot of coordination!

7. This marks the second large commercial job which will be using our NEWLY engineered increased capacity FLAT-Lite™ power supplies with integrated dimming capability.  So full dimming control can be achieved through the Lutron BMS, and can be set for each individual interior lighting scene!

After months of coordinating between the general contractor, electrical subcontractor, millwork subs, and owner to make sure everything goes smoothly, tomorrow the ball drops – check in daily for updates on the construction process.

Thanks to all those who behaved themselves on St. Patrick’s day to prepare for the trip to Norfolk!

View the Wells Fargo Center project rendering

GPI International's DURA-Lite™ translucent glass-backed natural stone product is now featured on the Materialicious website.

Materialicious is a useful, design-driven database of design surfaces, objects, and spaces. We're having a blast exploring other materials on here, as well.

See DURA-Lite™ featured on Materialicious and check out all of the other innovative posts.