Pyrolave

• Bar fronts and cladding
• Outdoor kitchen and barbecue work surfaces
• Bathroom and spa surfaces
• Commercial kitchen work surfaces
• Feature wall cladding
• Table tops for covered exterior use

The signature of Pyrolave is the fine craquelure: a network of hairline cracks set into the glaze during firing.

Each piece begins as a block of Volvic lava, sawn and worked to the required size. A mineral glaze is applied by hand and the slab is fired in a kiln. As the stone and the enamel cool at slightly different rates, the glaze develops its characteristic craquelure, a fine network of hairline cracks across the surface. This crazing is intentional and is part of the material, not a fault. It sits within the glaze, below the sealed top layer, and gives Pyrolave its depth and its hand-made quality.

The lines of the craquelure read more strongly on pale and mid tones and recede on darker colours. Each slab is individual, so two pieces in the same colour will never carry an identical pattern of cracks. For interiors that prefer a cleaner read, a smoother fired finish is also possible. The surface can be supplied with a gloss or a matt glaze depending on the look required.

Chemically inert and stable from sub-zero cold to direct flame, it is one of the few coloured surfaces equally at home indoors and out.

Colour is the reason most interiors specify Pyrolave. Because the glaze is mixed rather than printed, almost any shade can be matched, from soft chalky neutrals to saturated blues, greens and reds. The standard palette runs to dozens of tones, and bespoke colours can be developed to a reference, with several thousand already on record. The colour is fired into the surface, so it holds true and does not fade.

The fired glaze is hard, non-porous and chemically inert. It resists heat, so a hot pan can be set down directly without marking. It does not stain, etch from acids such as lemon or wine, or harbour bacteria, and it is unaffected by ultraviolet light. Frost and weather have no effect, which is why the same slab can move from a kitchen to an open terrace. The lava base is dense and dimensionally stable, giving the surface its strength.

Over 6,000 bespoke colours available. A selection of the standard palette is shown below.

Worked to drawing, each slab is sized, edged and finished for its specific setting.

Pyrolave is supplied to order. We work from your drawings to specify the slab, the colour and the finish, then have it cut, edged and fired to suit the setting. Cut-outs for sinks, hobs and taps are planned in advance, since the glaze is fired in place and the surface is best finished before installation rather than reworked on site. Larger surfaces are made from jointed pieces, and joints are set out by hand so the colour and the craquelure run as evenly as possible across the run.

Common uses include kitchen and bar worktops, vanity tops and basins, splashbacks, table tops and reception desks, along with outdoor kitchens, garden tables and terrace surfaces where weather resistance matters. The material can also be used as wall and feature cladding. We can match a colour to a scheme, supply samples for sign-off, and coordinate fabrication through our workshop network.

Yes. The fired glaze is frost-proof, weatherproof and UV-stable, so it is well suited to outdoor kitchens, terraces and garden tables. Colour and surface are unaffected by sun or rain.

Day to day, soap and water are enough. The surface is non-porous, so no sealing is required and spills wipe away. Avoid abrasive pads or scouring powders, which can dull a gloss glaze over time.

No. The craquelure is created during firing and is intrinsic to the material. It sits within the sealed glaze and is part of the look. Tone and lighting change how prominent it appears.

Volvic Lava has a celebrated architectural history in France, with many cathedrals, municipal buildings and public places all being constructed from the material in its unglazed state. Glazed lava was developed more recently in the 19th century and many orientation signs, including those at the Art Nouveau Paris Metro, can still be seen today.

Their journey started over 35 years ago with the creation of Pyrolave when they set out to achieve an exemplary product within an environmentally-sustainable framework. Since then, they have formed a manufacturing process with impeccable standards of quality, identified countless different applications and over 6,000 bespoke colours.

For further information and pricing enquiries please contact Pyrolave Architecture: