Award-Winning Project Highlight: "Aurum" Garden
We’re proud to share that Aurum, a striking garden installation from the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show 2023, has just been honoured with a DNA Paris Design Award. Our team had the pleasure of contributing to this award-winning project by supplying the X-Bond Microcement finish used across the pool surrounds and floor surfaces — an essential feature in the garden’s seamless, sculptural aesthetic.
Created by Mint Design, Aurum was conceived purely as a creative exercise for the event, without a client or a brief. It stands as a bold expression of design freedom and possibility when your imagination runs wild. This visionary landscape draws from both modernist and art deco influences, all while being filtered through a contemporary, urban perspective.
True to its name (derived from the Latin word for gold), Aurum celebrates richness, not just in colour, but also in materiality, landscaping, and spatial form. The garden offers a luxurious yet earthy experience, where artistic geometry and natural elements coexist in perfect harmony.
The layout flows effortlessly from one area to the next, helped along by curved gemoetry, deliberately avoiding traditional hierarchies in landscape design. It invites relaxation, exploration, and meaningful connection whether you’re warming up in the spa, relaxing on the daybed, or dining al fresco. Every detail reflects an intent to fuse architectural structure with the organic beauty of the natural world.
X-Bond was specified as part of the clean, cohesive visual language that defines Aurum. The unbroken, tactile surfaces enhance the design’s sculptural quality while offering durability and a practical finish appropriate for pool surrounds.
When we first discovered this microcement back in 1999 on a trip to the US, what inspired us to bring it to the Australian market was a prediction that raw, textural renders would one day be commonplace in luxurious, elegant settings. Seeing it featured in a glamorous project like this — years later — is a full-circle moment for us.
We’re honoured to have been involved in a project that pushes the boundaries of landscape design, and are thrilled to see it receive such prestigious recognition on the international stage. Credit for leading the build goes to TLC Pools. To view more, head to MINT’s website here.
Aside from this year’s DNA Paris Design Award, at the 2023 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, Aurum also won:
Gold in the Show Garden Competition;
The Innovative Design Award;
The Construction Award;
And proudly also took out People's Choice Award