SolidNature and AMO transform supermarket into marble fantasy

Il Sonno is a convenience store entirely made of natural stone, created by Dutch supplier SolidNature in collaboration with AMO, the think tank of OMA architecture studio led by Samir Bantal. The project turns everyday objects into material sculptures: marble takeaway cups, sandwiches made of stacked stone triangles, an onyx banana, and a travertine milk carton. Shelves are lined with familiar products reinterpreted in marble, onyx, quartzite, granite, and travertine. Polycarbonate panels, neon lights, and anonymous background music create the illusion of a real store. Mirror walls amplify a dreamlike sense of suspended, fluid time, reflected in the title Il Sonno (The Sleep). Public response led SolidNature to make some objects available, alongside limited editions—twelve pieces in total. Each piece is unique in pattern, tone, and translucency due to natural stone. SolidNature has previously brought stone into unexpected contexts: a fountain for Amsterdam's Vondelpark by Sabine Marcelis and an installation with OMA including a monumental onyx portal and a stone bathroom by Marcelis. Il Sonno was presented during Milan Design Week.