The rock colossus rolls thunderously towards the winery. During its rapid descent, the huge boulder splits into several pieces. One of them destroys the farm building of the “Freisinger Hof” winery and all the machinery falls victim to it. Another came to a standstill just 80 centimeters from the entrance to the residential building. No one was injured. This incredible story took place on January 21, 2014 in the municipality of Tramin on the South Tyrolean Wine Road.
600 tons of rock mass made its way down into the valley. (Photo: Peter Watschinger / südtirol.stein)
Using a mobile diamond wire saw, several drilling rigs and an excavator, the südtirol.stein employees dismantled the colossi. (Photo: Peter Watschinger / südtirol.stein)
The first blocks of Traminer dolomite in the factory warehouse in Terlan: The stone fascinates with its vibrant color spectrum. (Photo: Peter Watschinger / südtirol.stein)
Arrived in Germany: The installers used the buttering-floating method to ensure better adhesion by applying the adhesive on both sides. (Photo: Florian Widmann / Pure Stone)
Florian Widmann uses a rubber mallet to align the base plate of the Traminer dolomite in the kitchen so that it lies on the scales. (Photo: Florian Widmann / Pure Stone)
A pane of glass will separate the kitchen and living room in future. Slots have already been milled into the wall and a rebate cut into the stone for its installation. (Photo: Florian Widmann / Pure Stone)
The kitchen worktops were also made from Traminer dolomite. (Photo: Florian Widmann / Pure Stone)
The “Traminer miracle” quickly made the rounds. Hans Karl Trojer and Peter Watschinger from the natural stone company südtirol.stein in Terlan drove out to inspect the stones as soon as they heard about the rockslide. The shocked owners of the winery wanted to get rid of the dolomite colossi on their property as quickly as possible. But it wasn’t going to be that easy. A number of providers suggested blasting the boulders so that they could be removed. However, blasting so close to the house seemed too risky for the residents. Only Trojer offered to dismantle the boulders on site and prepare them for transportation. The company südtirol.stein operates two quarries and also specializes in the search for and recovery of huge boulders. The necessary equipment and expertise were therefore available. With a mobile diamond wire saw, several drilling rigs and an excavator, the südtirol.stein employees set about their project. Around 230 cubic meters of natural stone were removed over the course of a month and brought to the company’s warehouse in Terlan. But the story of the Traminer Dolomites does not end there. Some limestone blocks were to find their way to Germany.
Dolomite is a 220 million year old limestone composed purely of fossils. The natural stone stands for the Dolomites, so to speak, and therefore also for South Tyrol. The miraculous event in January 2014 also gave this special Traminer Dolomite a kind of “aura”. No wonder that regional hotels were happy to have their reception counters decorated with this extraordinary stone. Florian Widmann from Pure Stone in Munich was also fascinated by the history of the stone. A colleague showed him a sample and Widmann was immediately impressed. The master stonemason liked the vibrant color spectrum with greenish nuances and reddish veins. The natural stone seemed perfect for a terraced house in the Munich area, which he was responsible for renovating. In a consultation with the clients, it quickly became clear that the material had that certain something for an exclusive living atmosphere. The house should not only be modern, but also timelessly beautiful.
Planned and done. Florian Widmann is not just a stonemason, he also develops holistic concepts for individual interior design. In the case of the private detached house, he also took on the project management, including drywall construction, plastering and painting work as well as electrical and pipe installation. He and his employees used Traminer Dolomit to cover the entrance landing in the outdoor area, the hallway, the guest WC, the dining and kitchen area, the living room and the connecting staircase. The entire installation work, carried out by four Pure Stone employees over a period of two weeks, covered around 65 square meters. The surface of the three-centimeter-thick slabs for the entrance landing was sandblasted to create a non-slip surface, while frost resistance also played a role in the outdoor area. Inside, the surfaces of the approximately 130 x 43.5 centimetre natural stone slabs are brushed to make the veins tangible to the touch.
Find out more about the installation of Traminer Dolomite in STEIN in July 2016.