New archetypes

Forget futuristic concepts for the high-tech bathroom of tomorrow; instead Axor and design studios “Front” from Sweden and “Nando” from Japan have experimented with images, spaces and technology to produce their somewhat archaic studies. It’s not the first time that "Axor", the design label at Hansgrohe SE, has called on designers of international acclaim to interpret the bathroom space as they see it. An open dialog was the welcome result.

For “Axor WaterDream” the Swedish designers at Front – Sofia Lagerkvist, Charlotte von der Lancken and Anna Lindgren – took inspiration from plain fittings entirely devoid of aesthetic appeal, such as supply lines and copper pipes, which tend to be concealed behind walls. “We played around with the most essential components delivering water to our homes, such as fittings, pipes, valves and funnels,” explains Sofia Lagerkvist. These elements provided the basis for their playful and expansive installation that culminates in large, funnel-shaped showerheads, likewise made of copper.

Oki Sato from the Japanese design studio Nendo also opted for a metaphorical approach. His Axor WaterDream is a large shower element that conjures associations with lampshades. The almost surrealistic marriage of bathroom and living room objects has produced “a hybrid – a magic trick made of light and water that can be repeated every day,” explains Oki Sato (35), creative head of the Japanese studio. The analogy of falling water droplets and flowing light definitely makes sense. It will be interesting to see how the "Axor WaterDreams" proper will eventually be realized.