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.

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:

Designing and specifying backlit onyx panels is a unique process. (Since onyx is a natural stone material, you can’t just call up Mother Nature and ask her to send samples of her latest collection.) This post outlines the three key items that you need to communicate in order for your backlit onyx design visions to become reality.  Here we outline the necessary steps for designers to ensure their conceptual intent is properly translated:

1. Communicate the shade, coloration, and veining characteristics of the translucent onyx surface.

• Use photographs to communicate your preferences.  As onyx is a highly exotic material, clearly establish color baselines and veining parameters with the use of targeted images. Typically, verbal and written descriptions will not sufficiently describe the nuances found across an onyx slab.
• In most cases, you will need to specify glass-backed translucent stone if even and continuous backlighting is desired. (Not all natural stone slabs transmit light, but in the process of slicing thinly and laminating to glass, nearly any type of stone can become transparent - even granite.)

2. Identify the backlighting method that suits your design aesthetic.

• Even illumination across entire face of onyx panel?
• Gradient wash that fades from one edge to another?
• Colored RGB lighting?
• Dimming capability? Would you/your client like the control and automation that comes with tying the LED backlighting into a central lighting control system?

3. Provide drawings of the application that indicate panel sizes and book-matched joints.

• If the backlit onyx panels must match surrounding stone or millwork finishes, make sure your backlit natural stone supplier has the exact panel sizes so that they can recommend stones that work within your module.
• If your exact panel sizes are flexible, that could open up more possibilities in the stone selection. (Remember, onyx is a natural material so it is not available in standard sheet sizes like man-made building materials.)
• Use standard drawing convention to indicate the bookmatching arrangement in your backlit onyx composition.

If you're working with a backlit onyx supplier, as a designer you really just need to communicate numbers 1 through 3 above.

Proactive companies will act as part of your team to guide you through the subsequent steps: lighting design, mock-ups, detailing, structural engineering, quality control in production, and construction itself. 

A sampling of the backlit onyx slabs we displayed at Neocon in Chicago this past June- if only we had a dime for every time we heard "is that real stone?". 100% natural!

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!

So Cool: White Onyx

Admittedly, sometimes when clients request white onyx slabs that have little to no color or texture, we wonder "why don't you just paint the wall white or use an acrylic surface?". But there's something to be said for a sleek white slab that has cloudy layers that drift beneath the surface or distinctive sharp veins that form artistic compositions when bookmatched.

Backlit white onyx is a popular interior material, particularly in projects that are located in warm climate zones. (Think the Middle East, American South and American Southwest). The sleek nature of the stone surface visually represents coolness, and because our flat LED panels generate virtually no heat, the stone panels stay cool to the touch!

How do climate and context affect your color and material choices?

Honey onyx is easily the most popular stone for interior backlit features. And when most designers use the term “honey onyx”, they are referring to a very typical stone as shown below:

Did you know that yellow and gold onyx is available in many variations? From cloudlike formations to strong linear veining, honey onyx stone panels are particularly inviting when backlit with our warm white LED panels. Here are just a few types of onyx available in honey and gold shades:

The warm glow of backlit honey onyx is quite complementary to dark wood surfaces, making it an ideal stone for use in rich commercial lobby spaces and cozy residential environments.

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!

For many, the word “onyx” evokes images of shiny black beads embedded in jewelry.  Yet as interesting as light-up gemstone necklaces sound, GPI Design creates features with a different sort of onyx, a sort of “jewelry for your walls”.  The world of onyx natural stone is a large one, filled with many colors, banding, and stone patterns.  Many people aren't aware of the enormous amount of onyx varieties available, so we're opening up our image library of slabs to set your imaginations running wild.

What exactly is onyx? In the commercial stone world, onyx is not a color or specific stone, it encompasses a broad range of stones. Onyx is a form of quartz.  Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth’s crust and comes in many different varieties, one of which is onyx.  But wait a minute, you might be asking: “isn’t quartz the stone that comes in large crystals?”.  Yes, those large chunks of crystal are known as macrocrystalline quartz.  The other major category of quartz is microcrystalline (or cryptocrystalline).  

Onyx is a form of cryptocrystalline quartz, which means that is composed of large bunches of much smaller quartz crystals. It’s the combination of tens of thousands of smaller quartz crystals that give onyx its huge variety of colors, textures, and patterns.  If you look closely at a slab of onyx, you can start to see the individual crystals that make it up. Particularly when backlit, the fine detail in an onyx panel is further revealed. 

Green Onyx- Rich layers of green are enhanced by billowing clouds of red and brown.  Green onyx has a luxurious, rich look, and is often used to create a sense of magnificence and warmth. Backlighting green onyx panels brings out hidden details and adds an additional layer of richness to the stone.

Now that you know the world is your oyster when it comes to designing with backlit onyx, unleash your most colorful imagination! Stay tuned for our next featured stone.

Onyx itself is a luxurious material, and when integrated with the proper backlighting techniques the layers and depth of the stone is further brought to life.  You’re investing money and design time into this natural product, so consider the following tips to properly showcase its natural beauty:

1. Choose a stone that has significant visible veining or texture- the natural color and movement will distinguish the high-end natural stone finish from a man-made alternative.

(above image: Maker's Mark backlit onyx bar in Indianapolis by GPI Design)

2. White onyx is the least forgiving stone for backlighting applications.  Backlit white onyx is prone to hot and cold spots, so allow more space between the stone and the lighting source or consider using diffusion scrims and filters.

3. When designing with standard dimensional stone panels, ensure that the light source is bright enough to transfer through the stone surface.

4. When designing with glass-backed stone panels, ensure that the glass is non-leaded.  Leaded glass casts a greenish tint and can alter the color of the natural stone surface.

5. When designing a ceiling or wall layout of backlit onyx panels, consider the book matching composition and how the seams will interact with the natural veining of the stone. (Read our previous blog post on book matching natural stone for more details.)

Designing with light and natural stone comes with its own set of limitations, so take time to mock-up the stone and light assemblies or choose a company with experience in integrating the two products.