回溯礦脈本質，敬畏自然的原生之美

Back to the Vein: Reverence for Nature’s Primal Beauty — DAHSHING

荒料，價值靈魂的起點

Quarry Blocks: Where Value Begins

從大興石材的官網設計、型錄敘述、平面廣告到實體展間的陳列，這些始終只是必要的形象整合與輸出。那麼，最終陳列石材的起點是什麼模樣？它，又訴說什麼故事？每座礦脈有著屬於它的方向，每個層裡都是不同年代的章節，從中揀選出的荒料便是如今展間裡陳列雍容光澤的石材，僅僅能從紋理、裂縫、礦物顏色讀出自然歷程，其不可複製的特性，是自然賦予它稀有性的原始價值。關於它，客戶很直觀、視喜好，但未必清楚 ; 而建商、設計師也可能錯過了採購與使用建材更多敘事背景，早已遠遠超越所付出的真金白銀。珍稀石材的故事，並非單憑既有形式、印刷影像或展間加工後的石材可以看見，必須是雙腳踏在礦區一道道層理上，以雙眼辨識礦脈方向，確認每一批荒料是否足以進入建築、能否在大面積鋪陳中保持紋理延續與穩定品質，這一過程即為它的珍貴之處！

From websites and catalogues to advertisements and showroom displays, every visible layer plays a role in communication. Yet the true beginning of stone lies elsewhere. It begins with quarry blocks, extracted along veins with their own direction and lifted from strata that hold different eras within the same mass. Once processed and polished, stone reveals veining, fissures, and mineral colouration: partial records of a longer history. What cannot be replicated is not an effect of design, but a condition of nature itself. This irrepeatability is what defines rarity. Clients often respond intuitively, guided by preference. Developers and designers, working within schedules and budgets, may also overlook the narrative that precedes procurement, one that extends well beyond price. That understanding can only come from standing on the quarry’s stratified ground, reading vein orientation with the naked eye, and determining whether each block is fit to enter architecture, capable of maintaining veining continuity and material stability when applied at scale. This process itself is where its true value lies. 

然而，如此感受也唯有親賭礦場地貌、從開採、運送至加工過程，才能跳脫淺層思維進而尋思並深掘本質。於是，陳威廷起心動念要將那股騷動內在共鳴的真實感受記錄下來，便領著攝影行銷團隊策畫這趟以鏡頭紀錄——直擊義大利礦場王國，親赴現場實境感受地貌、採購荒料，從無到有的紀錄過程，才能真正理解到那些點綴於建築空間中的石材，背後蘊含的更多意義。荒料品質即天然石材的「原生形態」，它關乎穩定、優雅、連續紋理、材料完整性，參與此次拍攝同行的晴天見設計周董進一步說：「在它們尚未被切割之前，實際上是經過礦場高地不可控的氣候、開採技術及工業技術共同產出的結晶，此行就是要將些背後不為人知的故事紀錄下來，引領使用者回溯全貌、看清本質，從而心生敬畏，懂得去欣賞這些天然石材, 而非將自身審美強加於它之上。」

It was for this reason that Chen chose to document the process at its source. Together with the photography and marketing team, he travelled to Italy to record what cannot be conveyed through processed display pieces alone: the sequence of extraction, transport, and fabrication that ultimately shapes the stone as it comes to complete an interior in quiet restraint. In professional terms, the quality of a quarry block defines the stone’s natural state. Stability, tonal clarity, continuity of veining, and material integrity all begin here. One of the design studios who joined the journey, with its principal designer from SKY VISION, observed that even before cutting, each block already embodies the combined influence of highland climate, extraction methods, and industrial constraints. Making these unseen conditions visible, he noted, allows those who specify and use stone to approach the material with greater understanding, rather than imposing aesthetic expectations upon it.

震撼，大自然的鬼斧神工

Awe: Nature’s Unscripted Mastery

這趟記錄行程，在震撼的驚嘆聲中揭開序章。陳威廷一行人，自義大利舊米黃礦區山腳下的小鎮布雷西亞 (Brescia) 前往卡拉拉礦場的路途充滿跌宕起伏，極端天氣的變化忽雨忽晴，礦廠那端還傳來山上因大洪水而阻斷前往路徑的影片，為此行增添許多未知性的戲劇張力。所幸，在當地人的協助之下，大夥驅車穿行另一條較少人走、但險峻的山路總算抵達礦場！豈料，礦場的工作區竟在山洞內，一行人再次搭車進入四處漆黑伸手不見五指的山洞，隨著溫度驟降，沿途僅聽見大型機器運作的聲響，直到工作區點亮燈光的剎那，照亮十幾米高的洞穴，從頭頂、山壁到腳踏的地面，皆是卡拉拉白的壯闊畫面，眼前「洞採」的景象隨之而來令人感到十分震撼，「這不是就是大自然的樣子嗎?」眾人內心的感動不言而喻。

The documentation began amid a sense of awe. Setting out from Brescia, a small town at the foot of Italy’s historic Botticino marble quarries, Wei-Ting Chen and his team travelled toward the Carrara quarries along a route marked by abrupt weather shifts, with rain giving way to sudden clear skies. Footage arriving from the quarry showed access roads on the mountain temporarily cut off by flooding, adding an element of uncertainty to the journey. With the help of local workers, the group diverted to a lesser-used but steeper mountain road and eventually reached the site. What awaited them challenged any expectation of open-pit extraction. The active work zone lay inside the mountain itself. The team entered the tunnel by vehicle once again, descending into near-total darkness as temperatures dropped and only the sound of heavy machinery accompanied the passage. When the lights of the working area were finally switched on, a cavern more than ten metres high came into view. From ceiling and rock face to the ground beneath their feet, everything was Carrara white. The scene of underground quarrying unfolded in silence, and the response was immediate and instinctive.

若仔細觀察山洞內一層一層的階梯式開採軌跡，即明白洞採是個非常複雜的過程，因礦場須考量到大理石就是地殼中的石灰岩經高溫高壓作用後形成的變質岩，會自然呈現一層層的結構。不過，在經過板塊運動後，岩層會推升成斜的狀態，代表開採的方式也須隨之傾斜；此外，技術也要顧及石材本身的結構力，從而讓整體開採的難度大幅提升，所需成本亦隨之增加。為此，陳威廷分享：「大部分大理石礦區為露天開採，隨著開採技術進步，且義大利人相當珍惜自然資源的使用，會思索如何讓生產總量和品質達到平衡，盡量把礦區開採的範圍限縮，在不影響地貌的條件下以延續創廠經營，這也是為何卡拉拉白行銷世界多年，甚至開放遊客參觀，採礦區仍維持自然地貌，即使是已停工的礦場也陸續綠化，共同塑造了義大利礦業的永續方向。」

Closer observation of the stepped extraction traces clarifies the complexity of this method. Marble, formed as limestone undergoes metamorphism under heat and pressure, often retains legible bedding. Subsequent tectonic movement can tilt these layers, requiring extraction to follow structural inclination rather than convenience. At the same time, each operation must respect internal material strength to avoid compromising block integrity, increasing both difficulty and cost. Chen noted that while many marble sites are quarried in open pits, advances in extraction technology and Italy’s long-standing restraint in resource use have led to more balanced approaches, limiting disturbance while maintaining quality. This helps explain why Carrara marble has remained globally present for decades, even as surrounding landscapes, including decommissioned sites, are gradually restored.

➤ Photography | ActionMan