LAUFEN revolutionizes its 20 years of bathroom design with ILBAGNOALESSI

laufen’s ILBAGNOALESSI collection grows more advanced

The desire to create objects as if modelled by nature led designer Stefano Giovannoni to the ILBAGNOALESSI collection for LAUFEN. Presented for the first time in 2002, the project was born out of a collaboration between the Alessi Italian design factory and the Swiss bath furnishings specialist. The iconic bathroom furnishings continue to expand in quality and quantity in 2022, as the classic archetypes are reinterpreted with even more fluid and soft lines, obtaining an elevated sculptural character. 

ILBAGNOALESSI is the result of collaboration between the Alessi Italian design factory and the Swiss bath furnishings specialist LAUFEN

all images courtesy of LAUFEN

LAUFEN‘s iconic ILBAGNOALESSI collection returns in a completely renewed look, the result of the evolution of materials and continuous technological research. For 2022 collection is enriched with new linguistic codes, introducing the principle of the Frame – the modular lighting system enclosing a number of settings of the ceramic fixtures. The Swiss company’s revolutionary ceramic manufacturing, advanced technology and lighter forms lead the project into a new phase.

ILBAGNOALESSI has developed a completely new approach to the design of the bathroom space, made possible thanks to the interaction of the two companies

the bathroom collection that looks like organic sculptures

ILBAGNOALESSI has developed a new approach to the design of the bathroom space. Thanks to LAUFEN’s ongoing research on ceramics, the extremely strong and malleable material Saphirkeramik has been created. Its thin nature permits the formation of daring lines that were not possible 20 years ago; the high-performance material links past with future. The designer, experimenting with this special ceramic material, has designed basins with rounded edges in different sizes, reinterpreting washbasins and washstands with long, organic forms, accentuated through the use of a new light and slim profile.

‘The introduction of Saphirkeramik has made it possible to reduce the traditional double border of ceramic fixtures to a single thin surface, emphasizing the elegance of the organic design of this line of products,’ says the designer of ILBAGNOALESSI, Stefano Giovannoni.

LAUFEN finds maximum expression in the balance between form and function, and design and workmanship

The important feature of the collection involves three variations of finish and color for all the ceramic pieces, including the toilet and the bidet. The matte finish – in the colors white, black and coffee – gives the product a more contemporary image, while the freestanding welcoming bathtub takes its cue from the form of the washbasins. Made with Sentec, a mineral composite that offers a velvety sensual surface, the tub is ideal for a long relaxing soak as the slim border widens to offer a comfortable headrest and a surface for objects. The 2022 version – also available with black on the outside and white on the inside – is of great theatrical impact and in tune with the revised finishes of the collection. 

One of the central pieces is the toilet: its rounded cover completes the design of the ceramic body in seamless continuity, generating a unified object that is completely different from a traditional toilet, which is usually flat in its upper part.

ILBAGNOALESSI 2022 also offers a series of furnishings that incorporate materials of the latest generation. The cabinets have squared geometric lines, and the drawers, without handles, have borders at a 45° angle – a solution that works both aesthetically and functionally. The wood varieties and the warm, earthy tones of the colored laminated versions play with the stoneware surfaces, creating chromatic effects and refined material contrasts in relation to the ceramic fixtures. For even more versatility and personalization, the color palette offers a range of over 30 hues and 3 special nuances, with metallic finishes like copper, titanium and gold.

‘When I began to think about the ceramic fixtures of ILBAGNOALESSI in the early 2000s, I was immediately drawn to the image of white stones polished by water. The design of ceramic pieces (toilet, bidet, washbasin) was usually based on the composition of three elements: a basin, the central element that contains the water; an element for connection to the wall, and possibly another one for connection to the floor. With the ceramic fixtures of ILBAGNOALESSI I went beyond traditional design practice, taking a stone and directly attaching it to the wall,’ continues the designer.

the new Frame element is equipped with an LED system, the different scenarios of which can be controlled via APP or remote control

laufen takes ILBAGNOALESSI into a new digital era

A special highlight, in the truest sense of the word, is the frame structure made of black aluminum, which accompanies the mirror and furniture as a connecting element and sets the scene for the unusual shapes. This element is equipped with an LED system, the different scenarios of which can be controlled via APP or remote control. The modular lighting system allows the brightness to spread in multiple directions, creating different personalized configurations in the bathroom space, with the option of shifting between warm and cool luminous hues. With this easy-to-install concealed technology, LAUFEN puts ILBAGNOALESSI into a digital era.

the bathroom collection made its debut at Fuorisalone 2022 in Milan at LAUFEN Space Milano, which hosted an installation staged by Studio Lys inspired by the work of the visionary French architect Claude Parent

project info:

name: ILBAGNOALESSI 

brand: LAUFEN | @laufenbathrooms

designer: Stefano Giovannoni