How to make a base for architectural fragments

Your architectural fragments presented on a custom-made base

Discover La Bulle’s plinth solutions.
Custom-made bases for architectural elements

For over 20 years, La Bulle Paris has been adapting to the demands of its customers.

Our capabilities for creating custom bases are endless.

This is why we offer you mask stands, plate displays, standard products or custom-made stands.

And to further support you in developing your custom base projects, we have developed what we call La Bulle Solutions.
To put it simply, each object is unique , but it can accommodate different base solutions according to your wishes.

The choice is yours.
So, you will find our La Bulle Solutions for sculpted heads or Solutions for coco-fesses for example.

Find it now

the whole of
our solutions

presentation.

Today we present La Bulle Solutions for the base of architectural elements, such as stone arches, column capitals, and paving elements.

Examples of architectural elements on custom-made bases

A fragment of pavement supported by a
custom-made base.

Fragment of a Cosmatesque pavement, Carrara marble, porfiore, serpentine, between 11th and 13th century, Italy.

Side view of the custom-made steel base made for a fragment of Carrara marble paving.

Back view of the custom black steel base

For this custom base project, our client, the Alexandre Piatti gallery, wanted a base that could

to hold upright this fragment of Cosmatersque pavement in Carrara marble, porphyry, serpentine, dating from the Italian Middle Ages, say between the 11th and 13th centuries.

This exceptional piece has a significant constraint: its weight . This piece of paving is extremely heavy, which largely determined the creation of the custom-made base.
Indeed, a custom-made base with a very strong support structure was required.

To achieve this, we chose to make the base from steel. We paid particular attention to the creation of the extremely strong support feet, which we welded onto a rectangular base.

To hold the work without damaging it, a claw system is integrated into the structure from the back on two different levels. The structure is painted black. The choice of claws slightly visible from the front was essential, as it was impossible to pierce the work.

Your column capitals on a custom base

Custom-made black steel base for a column capital.

Custom-made system for holding the element on the base.

If you have an architectural element like this Italian column capital, here is a custom-made plinth system that is perfectly suited to it.

For this type of architectural element, and this is not customary, we drill the bottom of the capital, in the hole thus created, we insert a resin in which we place a square-shaped insert. The resin is easily handled like modeling clay. When drying, it hardens allowing the insert to hold inside.
This square insert will fit into the custom base.

This custom-made base is made of brass, an ideal material for creating bases because it is strong and malleable. Brass responds very well to patina. In this example, the client's chosen patina is speckled.

A stone arch on a
custom-made black steel base

For this custom-made base , we also had a constraint regarding the weight of the work.
We therefore make a steel base with small holding claws which are placed in the wide openwork part.
These particularly strong claws support the weight of the work.
Afterwards, the claws are painted in the tones of the arch to be less visible.

Architectural element on a custom-made black steel base

Woven stone architectural element on a custom-made black steel base.

Even with a very small architectural element, we can offer you tailor-made bases that are suitable.

Like this woven stone fragment, your work can be held by a flat rod fixed to a square base.

For this example, it was decided in consultation with the client to drill the back of the part. The advantage of drilling is that the base disappears almost completely. The retaining claws always remain visible.

Creating a custom base for an architectural element allows the work to be kept vertical and secure.

Generally very heavy, these pieces must be placed on a base if you wish to display them.

You love your artwork and collectibles.

Don't hesitate any longer and offer them

a custom-made base

to value them at their true value.