Quarra Stone is honored to have played a pivotal role in bringing to life Opus Africanuum, also referred to as the Identity Column, an extraordinary sculptural work by acclaimed architect and designer Germane Barnes. Now permanently installed at Magnus Brickell in Miami, the piece invites viewers to reconsider the classical architectural column through a distinctly African diasporic lens.
Debuting at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale and later exhibited at Art Omi in New York, Identity Column is more than just a reinterpretation of form—it’s a layered cultural statement. The work draws heavily from African art, ancestral symbology, and Barnes’ personal heritage, challenging Eurocentric narratives that have historically shaped architectural vocabulary. It stands as a bold intervention in the canon of monumental form—reframing what a column can represent.
At Quarra, our role was to help transform Barnes’ conceptual and digital design into physical stone. This required not just technical mastery, but deep collaboration and sensitivity to the piece’s symbolic weight. Through advanced digital modeling, precision CNC machining, and meticulous hand-finishing, we were able to retain the sculptural fidelity and material resonance Barnes envisioned.
This project exemplifies the kind of meaningful work we strive to support—where architecture and public art converge with cultural storytelling. We are proud to have contributed to a piece that is already shaping conversations around identity, history, and the evolving language of space.
