Amazing Architectural Interiors and Detailed Objects Carved into Raw Marble Blocks

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Romanesque Stone II (Detail)

Artist Matthew Simmonds has carved out a unique career for himself. Inspired by a lifelong interest in stone buildings, the Copenhagen-based sculptor is known for his exquisite marble models of sacred architecture.

Unlike most architectural maquettes of churches, cathedrals, and other buildings, Simmonds’ small-scale sculptures are not free-standing models. Instead, they exist within raw slabs of stone, where they “reveal intricate internal worlds” that are alluringly ethereal yet inherently grounded in earthly shells. The contrast between the finely carved models and the rough marble symbolically touches on “the relationship between nature and human endeavor”—a key aspect of Simmonds’ practice.

To aptly capture this concept of “human endeavor,” Simmonds adorns these tiny worlds with awe-inspiring architectural elements that have come to characterize medieval building conventions. Domes that play with negative space, vaulting that blends into the marble, and ornate columns that appear to support an impossible weight are just some of the details found in these jaw-dropping sculptures.

If you’d like to explore Simmonds’ ongoing collection of marble sculptures for yourself, wander around his website.

Matthew Simmonds meticulously crafts architectural sculptures out of stone.

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Romanesque Stone II

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Romanesque Stone II (Detail)

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Essay in Perpendicular

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Essay in Perpendicular (Detail)

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Fragment VIII

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Fragment VIII (Detail)

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Ambulatory III

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Ambulatory III (Detail)

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Exedra

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Exedra (Detail)

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Essay in Baroque Space II

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Essay in Baroque Space II (Detail)

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Arena

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Arena (Detail)

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Elevation III Trend Cathedral

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Elevation III Trend Cathedral (Detail)

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Elevation VI Rooke Chapel

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Elevation VI Rooke Chapel (Detail)

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Elevation VI Rooke Chapel (Detail)

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Windows

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Windows (Detail)

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Windows (Detail)

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Windows (Detail)

Architectural Sculptures Marble Models Matthew Simmonds

Windows (Detail)

Matt Simmonds: Website

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Matthew Simmonds.

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16th Century Gothic Boxwood Miniatures With Extremely Detailed Carvings

Kelly Richman-Abdou

Kelly Richman-Abdou is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. An art historian living in Paris, Kelly was born and raised in San Francisco and holds a BA in Art History from the University of San Francisco and an MA in Art and Museum Studies from Georgetown University. When she’s not writing, you can find Kelly wandering around Paris, whether she’s leading a tour (as a guide, she has been interviewed by BBC World News America and France 24) or simply taking a stroll with her husband and two tiny daughters.
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