patricia urquiola for axor

axor urquiola bathroom concept


spanish-born milan-based designer patricia urquiola has collaborated with axor,
the designer brand of the hansgrohe company, on a bathroom collection extending from bathtubs,
faucets, wash basins and accessories. five years in the making, 'axor urquiola' combines the
technical and precise functionality of axor with urquiola's artistic interplay of intimacy, poetry and warmth.

this is axor's first collaboration with a female designer. previous collections have been designed by
philippe starck, antonio citterio, jean-marie massaud and phoenix design.

back in 2005, axor waterdream provided urquiola with the opportunity to focus her vision on bathroom design.
waterdream is an open process based on dialogue with partner designers to create product and room designs
that approach the concept of the bathroom in their own ways. axor gives designers in this process,
a great amount of freedom, holding discussions without predetermined outcomes so that a wide variety
of approaches can be explored.

the 'axor urquiola' spatial concept represents the convergence of two previously distinct areas.
here, the separation between bedroom and bathroom blend naturally into a singular space for relaxation
and regeneration. here, privacy is maintained, yet communication and contact are easy and comfortable.



bathtubs incorporate openings which can be used as towel holders


the classic shapes of the vessel sinks and tubs are modern interpretations of old fashioned washtubs.
through urquiola's choice to use the material of mineral cast with a polyester gel coat surface,
the vessels are created in a single cast. both sides of the washbasins feature slot-like openings like the
handles of a washtub, serving functional purposes as towel or washcloth holders. while 'his' and 'hers'
separate bathrooms have been popular since the turn of the century, urquiola's pair of soaking tubs
installed side by side allow for intimacy while also making for a customized experience.
the tubs also have openings incorporated into their shape which can be used as towel holders.



single-hole faucet


the faucets and fixtures consist of gentle curves, combining shiny surfaces with soft radii.
generously-shaped levers offer a pleasant feeling for the hand, while their operation is comfortably intuitive.
special proprietary tooling was developed to achieve the look of the faucets. the handles are cut out from
rectangles with soft, rounded, super-thin edges, with the of the faucet featuring a subtle wave.
a characteristic design element in the collection is unexpected but pleasing asymmetry,
such as the single-hole faucet urquiola created. this fixture incorporates a toothbrush holder
or soap dish on one side, while the handle comes up seamlessly and organically from the other side,
as though it's the branch of a tree.



single-hole faucet tall

axor urquiola products in detail:

faucets/bidets:        
- single-hole faucet
- single-hole faucet, tall
- 2-handle single-hole faucet
- wall-mounted single-handle faucet
- widespread faucet
- wall-mounted widespread faucet with baseplate
- single-hole bidet
- widespread bidet

vessels:
- vessel sink, wall-mounted (24.6x 16 x 10.4 inches)
- vessel sink, large (24.6 x 16 x 8.9 inches)
- vessel sink, small (20 x 16.7 x 7.8 inches)


bath:
- freestanding tub filler
- wall-mounted tub spout, short
- wall-mounted tub spout, long
- wall-mounted with integrated handshower and holder
- 4-hole roman tub set w/handshower
- freestanding bath tub (71.3 x 31.3 x 34.25 – 27.2 inches)

shower:
- shower column
- porter with outlet
- thermostatic valve
- trio/quattro diverter
- volume control valve
- pressure balance valve

accessories:
towel bar, 12”; towel bar, 24”; soap dish; tumbler; toilet brush; toilet paper holder; face cloth hook