In this video, viewers get an inside look at the collaboration between Nina Maya Interiors and Axolotl on a recent project in Northbridge, Sydney. Throughout the project, Nina and the team at Axolotl worked closely together to create custom pieces for the home, including glass features, elevator panels, doors, artwork and more.

The video showcases the stunning end result of the collaboration, highlighting the unique and personalised touches that make this home truly one-of-a-kind. Viewers can see the intricate details and craftsmanship that went into each piece, from the delicate etchings on the glass panels to the subtle play of light and shadow in the lit interiors.

Throughout the video, Nina shares her insights into her design process, discussing how they approached each element of the project and the creative choices they made along the way. She also shares her thoughts on the importance of collaboration and the value of working with skilled artists and artisans to bring her vision to life.

Overall, the video is a celebration of the collaborative spirit and the power of creativity to transform spaces and enrich our lives. This video is sure to inspire and delight, and we hope you enjoy watching it.

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We are thrilled to share this video of the collaborative journey between featured artist Jade Oakley and Axolotl where Jade tells of her experience working alongside Axolotl. Throughout our decade-long partnership, Jade has created multiple public artworks incorporating a broad selection of Axolotl’s materials and processes.

In this short video, Jade details the capabilities of Axolotl Art Projects, including not only fabrication services but also extensive design assistance, engineering expertise, project management and detailed documentation to ensure the flawless execution of every project.

Jade lists the benefits of working with Axolotl’s team of experts, combining our creative vision and technical knowledge to bring Jade's breathtaking works of art to reality. She also discusses our successful collaborations, including large-scale public art installations and intricate architectural details.

We hope you enjoy watching this video.

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Axolotl is pleased to announce the completion of the latest Level Cross Removal project in Victoria, an integrated art commission by artist Catherine Woo.

The artwork was commissioned for the City of Casey by the South Eastern Program Alliance, composed of project partners Laing O’Rourke, Jacobs, and architects BKK, and delivered together with T Projects.

The artwork utilises the highly visible soffit on both station platforms, to reflect a layer of the area’s ecological history, and create a visually dynamic addition to the building, that will in turn reflect the current life around it. Responding to the theme of geology, the intention is to echo the wetland that characterised the area before European settlement: a layer of its ecological past reflected onto the ceiling of the new building. 

The design is based on the rippling patterns that occur on still water and that would have been a constant feature of the marshland: patterns created by water droplets, or the undulations created around moving reeds or trees that once flourished in the wetland.

In this way, the columns of the soffit become central to the arrangement of the design – the concentric circles emanating from where they meet the ceiling – merging the columns’ architectural reference to local vegetation with the intent of the artwork. 

Reflection is key to the concept: the planar nature of the canopy accentuating the geological strata underneath, and the rippling design reflects the waterscape that was once integral to the area. The sheen of the anodised aluminium recalls the surface of the former wetland, reflected on the soffit. The concept is also designed to reflect the present day, with the material responding to the movement and changing viewpoint of the pedestrians and commuters that use this civic space, creating a sense of welcome and interest for those that pass through, as visitors or commuters.

The success of Reflections is seen in the artwork's seemingly effortless ability to navigate around the complex layout of the architectural soffit with all the necessary station services integrated within. 

The final design and layout of the artwork was aided by 3D surveys of the platforms and involved a comprehensive design development phase working with the artist and client to achieve the desired concept.

A complex artwork to execute, Reflections is created from 486 unique panels all designed, engineered, and fabricated with the highest quality materials and technologies in order to achieve a long standing artwork for the local patrons to enjoy.

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With the end of the year fast approaching, we’d like to take a moment to reflect.

We wish to extend a thank you to everyone at Axolotl and to all the designers, architects, artists, builders, and renovators who we’ve been privileged to work alongside.

2022 has seen the completion of some memorable projects from architecture to art.

A standout would have to be this one of a kind Axolotl Terracotta garage door on a stunning new build in Bronte. ‘AES’ is another striking result from the creative minds at Bijl working with artist Marcus Piper. The multi-panel bronze artwork is integrated around the main stairwell of the residence and features a graphic made from a combination of custom machining and 3D printing.

We’re also excited to have worked on three unique projects by Foster and Partners. Two were for the prestigious new Circular Quay Towers, where we have completed all the lift interiors in custom Lustre Spectrum glass, as well as multiple shopfronts in custom-designed Halo glass, Timber Link, sheet metal and Axolotl applied semi-precious metals and concrete. Once complete it will be a stunning showcase of Axolotl ingenuity in the centre of Sydney!

The third Foster project takes Axolotl to the Big Apple and the prestigious new Hudson Yards where we created 200m2 of custom 3D printed Champagne Bronze feature wall cladding for the lobby, cafe bar and washrooms.

Circular Quay. Sydney

Hudson Yards, New York

It has been another exciting and productive year for AAP. Two glass art projects bookend the year, with the suspended ‘Petal Sworl’ artwork by Adam Goodrum, with creative direction by Broached Commissions, installed at the Continental Hotel Sorrento at the start of 2022, and the ‘To see or not to see’ work by Karla Dickens, installed at the entry of the Art Gallery of New South Wales last month.

In between, our team have delivered a range of other art projects, including a mammoth 1200m2 artwork, ‘Reflections’ by Catherine Woo, to the soffit of Merinda Park Station, and the multi-wall ‘Centella’ artwork by Broached Commissions for The Continental Hotel, Sorrento which features over 560 handcrafted copper leaves.

Axolotl also expanded internationally, opening two new 10,000 sqm factories - one in Thailand and the other in North America, both with state-of-the-art equipment and machinery. This gives Axolotl the capacity to service the world as well as creating opportunities for our Australian clients to specify Axolotl surfaces on larger-scale projects.

We hope you enjoy this video showcasing the new possibilities of working with Axolotl surfaces.

As we farewell 2022, we wish you all the best for a healthy, happy and successful 2023.

Axolotl will be closed for our annual shutdown from midday Friday, December 23 and reopen Monday, January 9, 2023.

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Kick off your shoes, grab a drink, and groove to our songs with our summer playlist.

Axolotl Summer Playlist 2022-23

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Coined after the bronze currency of the ancient Romans, the AES artwork is a modern treasure.

The custom Marcus Piper artwork was commissioned by Bijl Architecture for a private residence in Sydney’s Neutral Bay.

A self-described digital craftsperson – Piper creates finely detailed digital masterpieces which are physically built with unique and often modern fabrication processes. The site-specific AES artwork is a prime example, created with several modern and exacting technologies.

Axolotl has had the pleasure of collaborating with Piper on a series of art projects over the years. Each concept provides the opportunity for a new material combination or fabrication technique to be explored. In true form, AES was crafted with an innovative combination of techniques including a hand-polished and patinated Axolotl Bronze surface, precision machining and ultra-fine 3D printing.

The large-scale artwork is formed from multiple carved and embossed bronze panels. The geometry of the work was informed by the unique position along the stairwell and the brief to integrate the architectural handrail within.

Accentuating moments and highlights have been specifically placed throughout the work to play with the natural and artificial light, casting and creating shadows that present a different experience with each interaction. The concept and palette of the work mean that you will never see the artwork the same way twice, with factors such as the time of day, speed, and position of viewing all resulting in a unique viewing experience. Light and reflection combine to create an optical phenomenon with details that highlight and shift as you walk by.

AES is a true collaboration between the architect, artist, Axolotl, Stuart Wilson Constructions and Pittwater Joinery who all enthusiastically supported Piper’s vision, helping to develop, create and deliver the artwork.

Tim Robinson Photography

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Wiradjuri artist Karla Dickens’ mixed-media artwork depicting hooded figures is a powerful exploration of the continuing legacies of colonialism and patriarchy. The materially rich work – with sea-green glass referencing Sydney Harbour and a patina that reflects the bronze panels on the iconic sandstone facade of the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ existing building – has been installed above the entranceway of the building. Located in the niche above the front door, Dickens’ work fills the space left empty by the contentious cancellation of a 1913 commission by the Australian sculptor Dora Ohlfsen.

Axolotl worked with Dickens and the AGNSW Curatorial team to develop and fabricate To see or not to see. 

The location provided the challenge of installing a semi-permanent artwork onto the heritage façade with no additional holes or fixings into the sandstone. This challenge was overcome with an engineered compression frame system that was designed, built, and tested to suit the artwork.

The artwork is composed of three glass panels made with a combination of Axolotl’s proprietary glass and metal techniques. 

Each panel was first kiln formed in Jade lustre glass. The kiln slumped technique enabled the silhouette of the hooded figures to sit pronounced and was selected in homage to the Bas-relief style of Ohlfsen’s original commission.

The lustre glass has a uniquely reflective quality that activates the artwork with haunting, glowing figures visible even from the footpath across the road from the gallery. No additional lighting or backlighting has been incorporated into the work.

The glass panels were then each treated with Axolotl’s semi-precious metal Link process to inlay Copper and Iron metals onto the surface. Dickens’ intricate hooded figures use a combination of Brown Rust, Black Rust and textured Majestic Rust to highlight the design, while the Copper background received a complementary sea green Verdigris patina which was polished with guidance by Dickens at the Axolotl workshop.

Axolotl is honoured to have worked with Karla Dickens and the Art Gallery of New South Wales on such a prominent and powerful artwork. We thank and congratulate all involved for creating such an important piece and after more than a century, completing the grand entry of the building.

For further information on this project please visit the project page on our AAP website here.

Axolotl is the most awarded aesthetic surface company in the world. For the past 27 years, Axolotl has both pioneered and mastered the technique of bonding inflexible materials such as semi-precious metals, concrete and terracotta to almost any substrate, as well as producing parity-breaking decorative glass.

The unbridled nature of our product offering provides for a unique expression of design that arguably has no bounds for architects, designers and artists who seek out new paradigms of creativity and functionality.

To consolidate our successful growth and build our offer outside Australia, Axolotl have opened two new 10,000sqm factories - one in Thailand, and the other in North America, both with state-of-the-art equipment and machinery. This gives Axolotl not only the ability to service the world, but to offer our Australian clientele the opportunity to specify Axolotl surfaces on larger scale projects.

In the short term we will be operating two websites - the one you will already be familiar with, axolotl.com.au, which has been completely updated. A second website has been launched recently to represent the international business for our global clients at axolotlglobal.com. Both websites will continue to evolve over the next few months with new work, including in-depth video narratives of some of our most spectacular projects

In addition, our Art Projects website has been completely rebuilt - axolotlartprojects.com which we are delighted to share with you.

Please get in touch to discuss the exploration of rarity in the world of design, and how the design community re-think the very notion of surfaces.

North American Factory

Thai Factory

The Angophora artwork concept was developed collaboratively by artists Jade Oakley and Jessica Birk, with the assistance of Emmaline Cox from Axolotl Art Projects.

The artwork is inspired by Angophora trees and aims to help to retain the memory of the large Angophora trees that have been removed from the site for the new building. Angophoras are a potent symbol of transformation and resilience and are associated with healing and the female form in Aboriginal culture.

The Angophora is an iconic tree. Muscular branches, curvaceous trunks, pink cellulite bark, with fleshy creases and bulbous protrusions, the Angophora is a Rubenesque dancer paused mid flourish.

In a colourful transformation, the Angophora sheds her bark annually. The blue-grey bark of the previous season peels off to reveal the rich terracotta of the new season’s bark. At the base of their great trunks, Angophoras have a large lignotuber which assists the tree to survive fire, whilst epicormic buds enable the tree to burst into vibrant regrowth. Where old branches have broken off the Angophora develops sheltered hollows perfect for birds to nest in. Through the poetry of association, the subject matter of the Angophora gives the artwork the themes of transformation, regrowth, shelter and resilience.

These themes are explored from each of the artists’ perspectives. Stories of the Angophora are embedded in Aboriginal culture, and in the early discussions of the artwork they have sparked many memories and provided overflowing inspiration for the direction of the artwork.

Jade and Jessica considered their approach to the facade carefully to ensure collaboration would result in the creation of a unified and harmonious artwork, strengthened by each artist’s narrative and experience.

The artwork consists of two unique layers of patterning, created by each artist. Jade’s illustrations created the structure of the ‘dancing’ trunk and branches of the Angophora tree in the glass interlayer and the screen patterns which meditate on the peeling bark pattern. While Jessica’s painted glass interlayer explores the colours, character and seasons through rich pattern and colour.

The artwork’s location demands a dynamic approach to materiality, as it is viewed both as the external facade at the entry of the hospital, and from within. It plays an important role in placemaking and welcoming visitors, patients and staff. The artwork appears as a glowing light box, a welcoming beacon at the entry, and affords views from both sides of the glass, up close and from afar.

Axolotl Art Projects assisted in the development of the artists’ concepts, digital development of the patterns and technical knowledge of transferring print and illustration into architecture.

Conversations with the artists on the concept and the feeling the artists were trying to convey in the artwork guided the design process. From this, Axolotl was able to propose materials and solutions that helped achieve the best outcomes for the artwork. The multi-layer screening as an example has the engineering requirement to be built from laser-cut aluminium affixed over an access gantry. To minimise the impact of the structure, the screening layout was developed with the artists to conceal the framework. As it was important that the artwork conveyed the natural quality and colour of the Angophora, the team experimented with colours and textures and introduced two custom Axolotl Terracotta treatments to the screening layer. This provided an outcome superior to powder coating alone, and only achievable with Axolotl Terracotta surfaces created with natural materials that live and breathe like solid Terracotta.

For further information on this project please visit the project page on our AAP website here.

In loving memory of Jessica Birk, strong Yaegl woman, who lived in the Northern Beaches of Sydney and passed away in 2019 during the delivery of the artwork.
Art Management Creative Road
Photography and Videography Steve Brown

As part of their creative direction of art at the Wesley Place precinct by Charter Hall, Broached Commissions appointed artists Maree Clarke and Trent Jansen to create an artwork for the forecourt of the Wesley Place Church.

The two solid cast bronze benches, titled Balit-dhan Balit-ngangjin (Their Strength Our Strength) were designed as a collaboration between Maree Clarke and Trent Jansen. As a tribute to Louisa Briggs, William Barak and to the history of Coranderrk Reserve, these benches commemorate both agricultural practices employed at Coranderrk station, and traditional cultural practices of the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri peoples in their forms; branches that act as the exterior framework reference the hops poles used at Coranderrk, whilst river reed and charcoal seats acknowledge the unique cultural practices associated with men and women of the Boon Wurrung and Wurandjeri peoples.

The gesture was requested by the church and commissioned by Charter Hall - both wanting a counterpoint to the sculpture of John Wesley that stands in the precinct forecourt.

Axolotl is proud to have been commissioned to produce and deliver the sculptures in collaboration with the artists. The forms materialised through over 1000 hours of toil in prototyping and fabrication, and the likeness to the artist's first sketch concepts is astounding.

The process of Bronze casting allows each piece to deeply echo the materiality of the branches, charcoal and reeds. The objects achieve a time-worn patina through being aged and hand polished with customised proprietary patina effects.

Landscape architecture by Oculus Studios completes the evolution of the benches into their final form on-site; plants that are native to the Black Spur region have been selected and have been embedded into the planter beds behind the benches. Over time, vines will wrap around each seat’s bronze branches in the same manner as hops were once twined around branches at Coranderrk.

We thank and congratulate Broached Commissions and artists Maree Clarke and Trent Jansen for conceptualising and developing this piece as a tribute to Victoria’s First Nations, and Charter Hall for commissioning such an important work. It was a privilege to be part of this moving and meaningful project.

For further information on this project please visit the project page on our AAP website here.

Videography & Photography Dean Lever