Apparatus has completed the integrated public artwork Grit at the Wallis Drilling Headquarters in Hazelmere. This project involved the creation of a large-scale perforated artwork embedded within the architectural façade across multiple buildings, forming part of the site’s external shading system.
Wallis Drilling is a family-owned Western Australian company with over 60 years of experience in the drilling industry. The new purpose-built headquarters consolidates operations into a contemporary industrial campus within the City of Swan, reflecting the company’s long-standing leadership, innovation, and connection to landscape.
The project brief called for a meaningful and highly visible public artwork that would respond to both the company’s identity and the surrounding industrial and natural context. Drawing on themes of innovation, family, history, and landscape, the artwork explores the relationship between industry and environment.
Grit takes inspiration from geological strata, archival imagery, and local flora. These elements are layered within flowing topographic forms, combining imagery of drilling machinery, workers, and native species. The design translates these narratives into a perforated surface that shifts in legibility depending on distance, light, and movement, revealing both macro and micro readings of the work.
Throughout the design process, Apparatus collaborated closely with Wallis Drilling and the broader project team to ensure seamless integration with the building architecture. Spanning Buildings A and C, the artwork establishes a cohesive visual dialogue across the site, guiding the experience of the headquarters from the street and reinforcing its identity within the industrial precinct.
Grit serves as a metaphor for endurance, resilience, and transformation—qualities inherent to both the drilling industry and the Western Australian landscape. Through layered imagery, shifting light, and material precision, the artwork creates a dynamic and discoverable experience for viewers while embedding narrative directly into the fabric of the building.
