Axolotl Showcase: Sculpture

At Axolotl it’s our privilege to work with some of Australia's best artists to produce awe inspiring and bespoke artworks for both local and international projects.

Look up when you next visit Brisbane Airport, to see the amazing outcome of our recent collaboration with HASSELL and artist Louise Pearson – 100 one metre wide laser cut butterflies fill the ceiling void, coated in a range of Axolotl surfaces including bronze viper, copper and rust verdigris.

Another recent project, titled 'True Forms' designed by Camie Lyons, takes pride of place in a private residence in Phuket, Thailand. The site specific works are cast in aluminium and coated in Axolotl Bronze Rust and Verdigris patina. Over four metres in height, the artist describes the sculptures as two dynamic marks in space, a loose portrait to the couple who commissioned them, ghostly at night reflecting the shimmering light and tall silent figures during the day. You can see further works by Camie Lyons at her solo show at Tim Olsen Gallery from 23rd November.

The graffiti installation above, designed by Peter Day from Environmental Art and Design, demonstrates the diversity of Axolotl products. The design came out of extensive community engagement with various youth groups - from kids interviewed on the street to young writers and youth council. Overwhelmingly, their response was a desire for greater respect from the community and for their culture, especially visual, to be taken seriously. The kids wrote the stories displayed on the glass panels, and directed & edited the illustrations.

Preference for the materiality of the installation, as indicated by the young artists involved, was for glass, stainless steel and rust, the perfect Axolotl combination. Manufactured from Miro glass cut to complex shapes, rust and mild steel the installation is pin fixed in place at the new Hurstville Bus Exchange.

Our unique metal, concrete and glass elements are a crucial asset to the modern artist's palette, enabling the creation of magnificent sculptures, delicate architectural pieces and monumental works of art.

Axolotl Showcase: Concrete Blonde

Designed by Michael McCann of the multi-award-winning Dreamtime Australia, Concrete Blonde is the latest hot spot for contemporary Australian dining.

Axolotl was commissioned to create a multitude of custom features in Axolotl Metal and Axolotl Glass as well as premiering one of our first commissions for Axolotl Concrete. Included in the fit out were concrete tiles, concrete flooring and concrete graffiti text inlaid into glass - a world first! In addition to the concrete, the space features an Axolotl metal lace fire surround and Miro glass bathroom panels. Check out the grand concrete entrance with the name of the restaurant stamped into the surface. An impressive entrance to launch two great new 'hot' names on the Sydney scene: Concrete Blonde and Axolotl Concrete.

In a category loaded with some of the real superstars of international design such as Herman Miller, Dyson and Phillips, we are very pleased to announce Axolotl Concrete has won a coveted Australian International Design Award for Architectural and Interior Product. Axolotl Concrete also received an official selection award from the Powerhouse Museum with a permanent exhibit displayed for the next 12 months.

The Australian International Design Awards uniquely allows Australian design to be benchmarked against the best in the world. It is one of the oldest and most respected design councils and recognition is a highly coveted symbol of good design on an international scale. The award is a fantastic accolade for Axolotl and a satisfying reward for the effort we have continually put into new product development over the past 15 years.

Since releasing the range last month we have had an overwhelmingly positive response, as architects and designers across the country now have access to a completely new and different spectrum of design opportunity.

Be sure to check out Axolotl Concrete in the Powerhouse Museum 'Success and Innovation' gallery as part of the awards, which will be showcased from Saturday, 30 July.

Pioneering the next revolution in contemporary surfacing technology- Axolotl are proud to introduce our new Concrete range of surfaces. Incorporating 10 years of research and development, Axolotl Concrete can be applied to virtually any solid surface at any size and shape and can be utilised in interior or exterior environments.

Axolotl Concrete is a cutting edge, sustainable, lightweight and cost effective aesthetic alternative to solid concrete.

Axolotl concrete has already received outstanding industry recognition being currently short-listed in the Australian International Design Awards, and soon to be showcased for one year in the Powerhouse Museum ‘Success and Innovation’ gallery.

Click here to view all concrete swatches.

Description and Principal Function Axolotl Concrete coating is 0.5mm thick and can be applied to virtually any solid surface of any size or shape giving the object the appearance of solid concrete without any of the associated restrictive, or environmental, issues. Axolotl’s patented (pending) technology is a world first, enabling concrete to be applied to embossed or debossed surfaces, etched or patterned with various textures.

Axolotl Concrete can be used for interior and exterior applications and is available in a range of colours.

Key Features and Benefits, Unlimited design possibilities Axolotl Concrete can be applied to virtually any substrate material of any shape or form. Patterns and textures can be carved into the substrate then coated, or imprinted onto the surface of the concrete creating an unconventional juxtaposition of fine detail in what is traditionally a construction material. The surface can also be inlaid with metal or resins. Application opportunities are endless ranging from walls and kitchen bench tops, to signage and sculpture.

Axolotl Concrete’s tactile surfaces engage the user begging to be touched and when applied to glass, create the illusion of solid concrete floating in mid air.

Lightweight facilitating ease of construction and installation Incorporating a concrete aesthetic can be prohibitive in instances where it is either difficult, even impossible, to install pre-cast concrete objects, or to pour concrete in-situ, due to associated limitations including access, weight, size, cost of installation and curing time.

With Axolotl Concrete, panels, objects and forms can be constructed offsite from any substrate including lightweight sustainable materials. The object is then coated in concrete using Axolotl’s patent pending technology to create the illusion of a solid concrete object. The object is then complete and ready for easy installation, with no onsite construction work required.

Sustainable alternative to solid concrete The quantity of raw materials required for 1 square metre of Axolotl Concrete is just 1.5% of raw materials required for the same surface area of solid concrete. This translates to a fraction of the carbon emissions of the production of solid concrete.

Using a lightweight sustainable substrate for construction, an item coated with Axolotl Concrete weighs up to 20 times less than a cast concrete object of the same size reducing carbon emissions released in transport.

Increased flexibility in application of concrete Axolotl Concrete opens up limitless possibilities in concrete for designers and architects which were previously impossible in solid concrete whether due to weight and functionality restrictions or simply the limitations of the material itself.

New applications never before realised include but aren’t limited to doors, garage doors, sculptural forms and joinery.

Axolotl Concrete offers Australia the opportunity to be a world leader in this type of secondary innovation.

Axolotl were recently engaged to collaborate on yet another public artwork further cementing our commitment to local artists and art in the community. This unique installation, created by Jane Cavanough of Artlandish, marks the entrance to the recently opened Bankstown Arts Centre. Commissioned by Bankstown City Council, the installation makes reference to the renowned lapidary workshop, residing in the Arts Centre, and the jewel-like polished stones created from rocks and minerals by the lapidary craftsmen.

Jane’s artistic vision was realised using Axolotl’s Link in Rust. Glass panels have been cut to shape and Axolotl Rust applied in a custom design to one face with the rear face sandblasted to create translucency. Fabricated in glass, copper and stainless steel, the materials for the sculpture were selected in response to the architectural language of the adjacent building and reflect the glass and copper facade of the Arts Centre.

If you’d like more information on Axolotl and other public artworks we have been involved with check out our sculpture gallery or contact us at info@axolotl.com.au

Axolotl doors adorn some of Australia's most prestigious and expensive addresses, with good reason. A grand entrance can increase a home's perceived value by thousands of dollars, which is why investing in a bespoke Axolotl door should be thought of as a smart choice rather than an extravagance. Below we've featured a selection of our recent door projects in situ.

Click here to see the complete range of Axolotl Doors

A neutral palette can make just as dramatic an impact as colour. The simplicity of white in a design scheme and subtlety of design through form alone can evoke space, clarity and calm. Veil from Axolotl Glass is an ideal way to bring these elements into your design scheme.

Veil Micro is one of the latest products in our Veil glass collection. Using the latest technology, detail as small as 0.5mm can be etched into the face of the glass, creating a permanent design imprint that appears as if floating mid air. Ideal for fine text and intricate forms & patterns, you can choose from one of our standard designs, or use one of your own.

Also brand new to Axolotl's Veil range is Veil Diffuse. Your design is carved into one or both faces of the glass and then one face is matte blasted entirely creating translucency. The sharp edges of the design are diffused and softened creating a subtle effect with the added benefit of privacy, whilst still allowing the transmission of movement and light. Any pattern can be incorporated, the options are quite literally only limited by the imagination.

All products in the Veil range can be used for feature walls, doors, partitions and balustrades just to name a few, for internal and outdoor, commercial and residential applications

Next in our feature on public art is this stunning piece by artist Susan Cadby. Titled "Their Story", the artwork commands full attention situated alongside the The Hub community centre in Ropes Crossing, the new Delphin Lend Lease community in Sydney's west.The design which celebrates native birds and flora, is lasercut in 5mm mild steel panels and then bonded with Axolotl Brown Rust. Both aesthetic and functional, the lasercut openings allow the breeze to flow through, whilst casting playful shadows onto the ground. At night soft lighting transforms the screens into a luminous set of native wildlife against the night sky.

The 50 square metres of screens also function as operable swinging gates, allowing the area to be opened up or sectioned off as required.

Inner city terraces are always in huge demand among home buyers and renovators with their great location, period features and lofty ceiling heights. The big challenge however, is overcoming the issues presented by these often cavernous interiors and the lack of natural light.

Sam Crawford Architects' recent refurbishment of a Newtown terrace illustrates resolutely how once small dark spaces can be gracefully opened and illuminated.

With Axolotl's internal and external glass flooring, light now cascades from one level to the next. The subterranean kitchen space is transformed with light spilling through an external patio glass floor. And the internal glass floor also filters daylight through from the skylit top floor to the middle all the while complementing the glass doors in the passageway.

The floor consists of panels of clear glass laminated with clear PVB interlayers and finished with a seraphic frost non slip surface, so it is as robust and functional as it is decorative.

Unsurprising then that this stunning transformation was Awarded Viridian's 2010 Vision Award for Best Residential Interiors use of glass.

These images clearly demonstrate how glass as a construction medium is ideal for transmission of light and movement, whilst creating a certain degree of privacy and obscurity. The laminated glass is incredibly strong and is no more slippery than other common floor finishes. These qualities open up a realm of possibilities for glass in both residential and commercial spaces.

If you like further information on this project with Q and A's with Sam Crawford, click here to download a pdf brochure. For further information on Axolotl Glass visit our website gallery.

This visual feast is brought to you by Axolotl in partnership with some of Australia's mostillustrious designers and architects. The scope of works demonstrates Axolotl's versatility and flexibility - no matter how challenging the task.

At Axolotl we relish any opportunities to push the boundaries in collaboration with talented design professionals.  As you can see the outcomes are stunning.

Reception counter in Axolotl Bronze Florentine

Transport House, Sydney

Design: Nicholas Graham & Associates

Surround in Axolotl Treasury Bronze Pearl

'The Grantham' luxury apartments, Potts Point

Design: Alex Popov & SJB

Water Feature in Polished Graphite and Hot Pink

Private Residence, Sydney

Design: Dale Jones-Evans