Few materials evoke high-end living as simply and effectively as marble. It has been used for some of the world’s most notable structures, from the Pantheon in Rome and the Taj Mahal in Agra to more contemporary buildings, such as London’s Marble Arch and the Peace Monument in Washington DC. Favoured by artists since ancient times, it was in full flower during the Renaissance: Michelangelo’s “David” is just one of the marble sculptures that helped shape the western concept of aesthetics. This artistic and historical heritage has lent the material a considerable degree of cultural power, and it has become a global symbol of refined taste and sophistication.

In recent times, however, marble has suffered an image problem. Owing to its association with ostentation, decoration and excess, it dropped off the radar in contemporary design for the best part of two decades. Yet, recent technological developments, the return to fashion of a more upmarket style, and the material’s powerful natural qualities are all helping to endear the material to a new generation of designers.

This February, fashion house Saint Laurent opened a new store in London with a design inspired by the French modernist movement, with black marble dado rails and white marble floors and fitting rooms. Also this year, the CVDB Arquitectos-designed Tapestry Museum opened in Arraiolos, Portugal, with white marble floors and walls complementing building’s 12th-century vaulted ceilings.