A glass mosaic church dome in Washington D.C. and a major renovation of the Getty Villa museum in Malibu, Calif. were honored with the 2007 Spectrum and Prism Awards. The Redemption Dome project at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C. garnered a Spectrum Award  for Lorton, Va.-based Rugo Stone. Similarly, Carnevale & Lohr Inc., based in Bell Gardens, Calif., received a Prism Award for its Getty Villa work. The two awards, which each included a $10,000 prize,  were presented at the recent Coverings ’07 meeting in Chicago.

The Spectrum and Prism Awards are designed to honor the best, most innovative installations of ceramic tile and natural stone, respectively. A panel of industry experts reviewed this year’s more than 100 entries based on criteria including mastery of materials, overall creativity, and installation expertise.

Rugo Stone’s winning entry is a  4,000 sq. ft. Venetian glass dome made using more than 800,000 glass tesserae and gold leaf tiles. Based on an original 1958 design, the mural includes 12-foot figures and more than 100 colors depicting Christ’s life.

A scaffolding system erected inside the church enabled craftsmen to complete the work over several months without interrupting church services. Overseeing the work were project manager Brett Rugo, field supervisor Jimmy Ternent, stone installer Steven Miotto and mosaic artist Fabrizio Travisanutto.

Carnevale & Lohr’s renovation of the Getty Villa was divided into two subprojects. The first was the renovation of the existing museum. The second involved the construction of new buildings flanking the original structure. The project was overseen by members of the J. Paul Getty Trust, architectural firm Machado & Silvetti Associates, general contractor Morley Construction Co. and stone sourcing consultant Jeffrey Matthews of Trade International Inc. The job required more than 30 containers of hand-picked stones from all over the world.

According to Coverings show director Tamara Christian, the expertise and creativity of the Spectrum and Prism winning projects continue to elevate the annual awards. “The caliber of entries has dramatically increased,” she said. “We’re getting a look at some astounding installations.”