Speaking stone - a retrospective look at the stone arch design for the Padre Pio church, Italy

This article presents a retrospective, personal account of the design of the stone arches for the Padre Pio church in Italy between 1990 and 2004. Inspired by a resurgence in interest in stone as a structural material, it seeks to relate the design development of this innovative project and discuss some of the hurdles that had to be overcome when working outside codes of practice. It is hoped that projects such as this – alongside more recent examples – will help to re-establish structural stone as a viable option for building projects. The author was a key member of the design team when previously employed by Arup.