Lava as art - Pyrolave Suisse between colour, form and fascination

There are projects in which lava stone is more than just a material. It becomes a message, a medium, a sculpture. Whether in public spaces, as a design object in galleries or as a highlight at architecture fairs - Pyrolave Suisse shows how versatile and artistic enamelled lava can be. In this autumn issue, we take a look at four extraordinary chapters - and a very special tribute to the craftsmanship behind them.

Les Brutalistes - Lava with attitude in Nantes

Between concrete, colour and ideas, art is created that lasts. A unique work was created in Nantes as part of the cultural initiative "Le Voyage à Nantes": Les Brutalistes - huge, playful sculptures made of concrete and enamelled lava, designed by the artist duo Feipel & Bechameil.

The idea: an interplay of raw brutalism and vibrant colour harmony. The realisation: a technical masterpiece. For the monumental figures, Pyrolave produced XXL panels with millimetre-precise angles, new colour experiments based on Pantone templates and a finish that will last for years, even in the open air.

More than art in public space - a meeting place with integrated wood-burning stoves designed to bring the neighbourhood together. Pyrolave Suisse as part of a social art project - powerful, poetic, colourful.

Similitudes - Design meets lava at Pierre Charpin

Less monumental, but no less impressive, are the works by French designer Pierre Charpin, which are currently on display at the Galerie Kreo in Paris. The "Similitudes" series - consisting of coffee tables and occasional furniture - combines enamelled lava stone with metal, form with repetition, structure with reflection.

Each table top becomes a surface full of depth. The colours? Contrasting, lively, vibrant. The shape? Geometrically reduced, but with a subtle shift. The lava? Elegant, with a crackled surface that shimmers in the light - like a skin of stone.

This turns a piece of furniture into a sculpture. And lava stone becomes a quiet stage for design at the highest level.

Architect@Work Paris - Lava in the spotlight

What happens when you rethink lava stone? You create walls, washbasins and presentation objects that surprise. At Architect@Work Paris 2020, Pyrolave Suisse presented a colourful concept for modern interior design: iridescent shades of green, a playful tie-dye look, solid origami washbasins and monolithic pedestals for the retail sector.

Particularly popular: the newly developed iridescent surfaces, which show different reflections depending on the incidence of light - an interplay of colour, depth and movement. A material that lives - and inspires. Visitors were delighted: lava is no longer just a kitchen surface. Lava is a canvas.

EPV certification - honouring genuine craftsmanship

A highlight in Pyrolave's history: the award of the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (EPV) label - an official seal of quality from the French government for outstanding craftsmanship and living tradition.

It is a tribute to the team in Castelsarrasin and Volvic, who work day in, day out between archaic material and state-of-the-art realisation. Between furnace and design process. Between hand and heart. And Pyrolave Suisse can also be proud - because these values, this expertise and this attitude have long since arrived in Switzerland.

Conclusion

Whether sculpture or side table, pedestal or wall, exhibition or museum - Pyrolave Suisse shows that lava stone knows no boundaries. It is not just a surface, but an expression. A medium for creatives, a tool for architects, a playground for designers.

And sometimes: simply art.