Client
Baulderstone Constructions, Crown Casino
Address
8 Whiteman Street, Southbank
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Status
Complete
Crown came to GRC Environments wanting to create an artistic installation that separated the dining room at Cotta Cafe from the rest of the Crown complex.
Not wanting to obliterate the view through to the restaurant, we used glass reinforced concrete to come up with a versatile solution.
How we answered the brief
The client wanted the separator to have both practical and aesthetic value. GRC Environments arranged concrete-like blocks at different angles to achieve this. The result is an installation that’s both interesting to look at and durable enough to remain intact should tipsy patrons fall into it (our words, not the client’s). We crafted three block moulds to project specifications in order to create 112 GRC blocks in total, arranged in nine rows. Each block was individually drilled, pinned and glued together to achieve the illusion of random alignment.


How and why GRC was used
Concrete blocks usually come in set sizes, which would not have been suitable for Cotta Cafe’s specifications. To make the glass reinforced concrete resemble aged cement, GRC Environments mixed a slightly drier GRFC composite to attain a rough finish and variation in shade. We assembled the structure in the factory during a test run to make sure everything lined up, took it all down, and then installed it above the banquet seating at Cotta Cafe. Not only does it look swish, there are now 112 extra places to rest your drink.
The team involved
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Steve Fennell
Managing Director
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Gino Giacobbe
Director
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Sam Dawes
Boiler Maker
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Paul Dennis
Supervisor and Mould Maker
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John Farley
Mixer
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Luke Giacobbe
Robot Guru
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Billy Nicholson
Floor Manager
Our principals have worked in the building industry since 1995 and are leaders in GRC/GFRC use in Australia. Meet the crew
Our project partners
Thanks to our partners, MIM Design and Crown Casino for their help in this project.