Marvelous Marble

Marble in all its glittering white glory and in a variety of forms is the current focus of the Los Angeles Conservancy and the California Museum of Science and Technology.

At the museum in Exposition Park is a marvelously mounted, engaging exhibit examining the use of marble in art, architecture and design from 4,000 BC to the present, with an emphasis on the present. The exhibit, which runs through April 30, is sponsored by the Italian Trade Commission and the Federation of Italian Stone Producers.

Particularly striking is a 40-foot-high monolith fashioned out of curved slabs cut from a marble block, and a vault of Botticino marble and a laminate of steel shaped to create the optical illusion that the stone is bending. Both pieces were created by architect Angelo Mangiarotti, who also designed the exhibit. James Goodwin served as consultant.

In conjunction with the exhibit, the conservancy is conducting special tours. This Saturday beginning at 10 a.m., there is a walking tour of downtown, examining the play of marble in select landmark structures. And on Saturday, April 8, there will be a bus tour of scattered landmarks incorporating marble. For costs, times and reservations, call the Conservancy at (213) 623-CITY.