The Stone & Surfaces Show, which takes place from 12–14 May 2026 at ExCeL London, puts the spotlight on the dynamic world of surfaces and materiality in construction. This year’s programme – an ambitious mix of talks, films and photography hosted across three venues – delves into the vast and ever-evolving palette of materials available to architects, designers, specifiers and developers, while confronting the critical decisions and potential pitfalls that come with every choice they make.  

Main Stage

Architect and Professor of Knowledge Exchange in Architecture at UWE, Piers Taylor opens the show with a powerful keynote, Learning from Local Materials. His message is unequivocal: surface materials in architecture are never merely finishes. Every choice an architect or designer makes is at once an ethical, environmental and social statement – one that can cut carbon impact, invigorate local economies, respond intelligently to climate and reveal the interconnected systems that shape our built environment.

Cork Loft (top) by Office S&M; Foresso in Azure Oak (bottom) by Low Carbon Industrial showcases high-spec circularity

Writer, editor and publicist Rob Feihn leads a talk on Cork, a renewable, lightweight, durable and low impact material that unites technical performance with sustainable design principles. Architects Catrina Stewart from Office S&M and Osman Marfo-Gyasi from Scott Whitby Studio are joined by Bárbara Pinto Ribeiro from Amorim Cork Solutions to discuss how cork’s unique natural cellular structure delivers outstanding thermal and acoustic insulation, and how it integrates seamlessly into advanced flooring and wall systems.

Jim Biddulph, editor of online magazine Stone Specialist, poses an urgent question: What is the Future of Circularity? He leads a panel that includes Conor Taylor from award-winning surfaces manufacturer Low Carbon Industrial; architect Jess Rostron from Orms; and Tim Matthews, founder of Reultilize, a digital platform designed to reuse surplus stock and reduce waste and a partner of the Worktop Fabricators Federation. They will discuss whether it is time to rethink specs and standard sizes, create a national platform that champions re-use, or develop bold new, low-carbon approaches to recycling these valuable and finite materials.

Three key voices from across the supply chain take on The Reputational Risk of the ‘Race to the Bottom’. Ross Williamson from The Surface Collection by Thomas Group which supplies natural and engineered stone; Andy Phillips, MD of Affordable Granite and director of the Worktop Fabricators Federation; and kitchen designer and podcaster Faye Newman make an uncompromising case. When it comes to specifying stone and surface materials, cheaper options can come at a devastating price. Inferior products fail to stand the test of time, and cash-in-hand workers employed by unscrupulous, unregulated suppliers risk serious injury or worse. Established brands not only guarantee quality; they underpin ethical sourcing throughout the entire supply chain.

Architects’ Theatre

The Architects’ Theatre continues the conversation on the real-world pitfalls of specification. Jan Lukaszewski, Secretariat for QUALICOAT UK & Ireland, makes a compelling case in Futureproofing Buildings - Failure is not an Option underscoring the critical importance of getting powder coatings right first time. Mike Calcutt from the Health and Safety Executive delivers an urgent wake-up call in Putting a Dampener on Engineered Stone Dust, revealing how dust generated from cutting, grinding and polishing can cause devastating lung diseases, including silicosis. 
 

Surfaces Cinema

Ceramic tile installation by Adam Nathaniel Furman (top); photography celebrating surfaces by Andy Stagg (bottom) 

The Surfaces Cinema is where the beauty of materials truly comes alive. Artist and designer Adam Nathaniel Furman – renowned for his exhilarating large-scale public installations – brings his distinctive vision to Chromatic Delight and Productive Exuberance, a joyful and vivid celebration of crafted colour and ceramics. 

Digital material library ARCHITEXTURES takes audiences behind the scenes of some of Scotland’s most beloved materials in three short films, Materials in Motion, exploring how small-scale material production can anchor a local supply-chain rooted in tradition, craftsmanship and sustainability.

Leading design and architecture photographers Ivan Jones and Andy Stagg present a stunning series of mesmerizing slideshows, drawing from their portfolios to celebrate the extraordinary visual power of materials. Award-winning filmmaker Edward Bishop rounds out the programme with a compelling selection of films ranging from a new primary school designed around sustainability and fabric-first principles, to the creation of a pavilion using marine ply and aluminium, to an intimate portrait of the craft of model making. 

A Fresh Vision for the Future 

“The Stone & Surfaces Show celebrates the full spectrum of stone and surface materials that architects and designers specify for the buildings that shape our built environment,” said Sam Patel, Divisional Director of the Super Event, which unites Stone & Surfaces, UK Construction Week and FutureBuild. “From forward-looking panel discussions on the Main Stage to immersive films, photography and expert-led talks at the Surfaces Cinema and accredited CPDs in the Architects’ Theatre, the programme highlights the range, versatility and real-world application of surface materials — and examines their impact across the entire supply chain.”
 

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