Cotta Cafe at Crown

Not wanting to obliterate the view through to the restaurant, we used glass reinforced concrete to come up with a versatile solution.

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.

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.

Our principals have worked in the building industry since 1995 and are leaders in GRC/GFRC use in Australia. Meet the crew

Thanks to our partners, MIM Design and Crown Casino for their help in this project.