Marble İzmir – The International Natural Stone and Technologies Fair, the largest global gathering of the natural stone industry, also brings young talents together with the sector through the 7th International Different Natural Stone Design Competition. Held under the motto “It’s different and also beautiful,” 25 designs selected from 892 applications will be turned into production.
Organized by İZFAŞ under the auspices of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, the 30th edition of the Marble İzmir International Natural Stone and Technologies Fair will open its doors at Fuar İzmir from April 9 to 12, 2025. The 7th International Different Natural Stone Design Competition, held within the scope of the fair, aims to support natural stone exports with design and architecture. The goal is to increase the market value of Turkish natural stones through high value-added products. This year’s competition, themed “furniture,” challenged young talents to design objects made from natural stone.
Aiming to combine marble with the creativity of young designers and increase the added value of exported Turkish marble, the competition received 892 project entries featuring designs made from natural stone. Following jury evaluations, 25 finalist projects will be brought to life by innovative companies in the sector. To encourage participation, awards will be granted, and the winners will be announced during the 30th Marble İzmir Fair. Young talents expressed their gratitude to İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and İZFAŞ for offering them this opportunity to realize their dreams.
Sudenaz Rabia Yılmaz, a second-year student in Industrial Design at Selçuk University, designed a bookshelf that "lives" with its owner and keeps information fresh, unlike classic bookshelves. Yılmaz emphasized the importance of students experiencing their designs in real life:
“As students, we don’t usually encounter real products—our designs stay as models or drafts. This competition gives us a chance to transform our ideas into tangible products and feel what it's like to see our concepts materialize.”
Duygu Ceren Köşüş and Bahar Özcan, fourth-year Interior Architecture students at Bilkent University, expressed their excitement about having their designs exhibited at the Marble İzmir Fair.
“This excitement alone gives us the feeling of success,” they said, adding that they are eagerly awaiting the production phase of their work.
Sıla Çelik, a fourth-year Industrial Design student at Gazi University, participated with two designs:
“I created timeless pieces that bring objects from abstract to concrete. Seeing my design come to life is thrilling. Even during the design phase, the excitement is intense. My main goal in this competition is networking and exploring new career opportunities.”
With international applications this year, the competition received submissions not only from Turkish university students but also from 892 students across 66 universities in 12 countries. After the preliminary jury evaluation, 25 out of 33 shortlisted projects were selected for production.
Winners will be announced 20 minutes before the award ceremony on April 9. The top three among the 25 selected designs will be awarded. To support young designers and encourage future participation, a total of 600,000 TL in cash prizes will be awarded in various categories. Additional rewards include design registration, international fair participation, and internship opportunities. Special awards will also be granted, such as a 3D printer to the university with the highest number of entries.
The jury includes:
Dr. A. Can Özcan (Izmir University of Economics)
Industrial Designers: Adnan Serbest, Ahmet Toplu
Interior Architect: Atilla Kuzu
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ayşem G. Başar (Yeditepe University)
Dr. Elif Kocabıyık (Izmir Mediterranean Academy / Izmir University of Economics)
Interior Architect: Esra Kazmirci
Prof. Dr. Faruk Çalapkulu (Industry Consultant)
Architect: Gökhan Karakuş
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Koray Gelmez (Istanbul Technical University)
Prof. Dr. M. Lütfi Hidayetoğlu (Selçuk University)
Designer: Oben İnceler
Prof. Önder Küçükerman (Haliç University)
Architect: Öznur Turan Eke
Remzi Boncuk (Çizgi Mermer Founder)
Prof. Dr. S. Meltem Şen (Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University)
S. Sabri Bora (Ege Antik Mermer Founder)
Serkan Güneş (Gazi University)
Prof. Dr. Marinella Ferrara (Italy)
Prof. Dr. Michal Stefanowski (Academy of Fine Arts, Warsaw, Poland)
Prof. Dr. Ilia Palaguta (Russia)
At the designer-company meeting held at Fuar İzmir, young talents presented their designs to leading firms in the sector. The following 17 companies will produce the 25 selected projects:
Alimoğlu Afyon
Alimoğlu İzmir Marble & Granite
Başaranlar
Ebla Stone
Ege Anti Mermer
Çizgi Mermer
Golder
Goldmer
Gürmas Gürel
İz Granit
Kar Maden
Laodikya
Marble Shop
Mercan Tasarım
Megamer
Naçev
Sirmersan
