The time has come

In 2003, the German company HANSGROHE - the world leader in the production of bathroom fixtures for bathrooms - released a new collection together with the famous Italian designer Antonio Citterio. Philippe Groe, grandson of the company's founder, tells about the peculiarities of "clean" design.

Passing the gallery

Materials prepared: Dilara Muradova

Magazine: N5 (72) 2003

In 2001, the German company HANSGROHE, the world leader in the production of sanitary ware for bathrooms, celebrated its centenary, in 2003, it released a new collection together with the famous Italian designer Antonio Citterio (in Moscow, Axor Citterio will appear in April). Philippe Groe, grandson of the company's founder and curator of the Axor brand, talks about the features of "clean" design.SALON: Your company appeared, I think, even before the bathrooms appeared. In this regard, the first question: how could you characterize the main stages of their evolution? - Until the beginning of the twentieth century, only very rich people had bathrooms, making up no more than one percent of the population. So, probably, about some kind of evolution can only be talked about since the 30s. It was then that the architects began to design bathrooms for the first time: very small rooms that answered only direct functions. Gradually, people spent more and more time in them, the comfort of these rooms grew, but there was no talk about significant transformations until the last moment ... Now, I hope, the bath time is coming. I think this is partly due to the changes in our perception of luxury. In the 70s, fashion was a luxury on display: gold watches, huge rings, magnificently decorated living rooms in which you could show your wealth to guests. In the 80s this movement began to decline, in the 90s it was impossible to talk about luxury, and in some places, for example in Germany, it was generally perceived negatively. Now the interest in it is returning, but this is already a luxury not for others, but for oneself. Today we prefer to invest in the kitchen and the bathroom, and this applies to the bathroom even more. These processes are manifested in architecture: the bathroom space is gradually increasing, the functional separation between the rooms disappears. For example, with Antonio Citterio, we discussed the combination of a bedroom and a bathroom: daylight comes through the bedroom window and reaches the bathroom through transparent doors. Thus, the bathroom from a purely functional room turns into a room for pleasure.S: The author of the latest collection, presented by AXOR, is Antonio Citterio. What caused such a choice? - The bathroom has a feature - details that can not be moved. Usually their service life is 10-15 years, and all this time they should keep their current appearance. And we were looking for a style that would be out of fashion. They chose Citterio: he has a very strong own line - furniture, which he made 20 years ago, can be put in the living room now. And it is easy to combine with its new objects. In addition, Citterio from those who combine the architect, interior designer and designer. He sees the object as part of the space and, which is extremely rare, loves to delve into the details. This is very important in our field.S: Among those who worked at HANSGROHE - Stark, Citterio ... It seems that you work only with the number one designers. Fame is a prerequisite for a contract with HANSGROHE? - No, I would not say that. I think the most important factor in cooperation is the human factor. I know many famous designers with whom we could work. But we don’t approach each other, and hardly anything could come out of it ... We are looking for people who have an instinct, common sense and ideas about design, and decide that we really need their project. The main task that we are facing is to keep the balance between our experience and design vision, because we do not focus on the market, but we set the trends ourselves. We can get one or two steps ahead of the market, but if we are three steps ahead, people will not understand us and there will be no success.S: When you choose designers for your new projects, should they have experience in creating bathroom objects? - In everyday work experience helps, because designers know what forms and technologies they deal with. In such cases, less often there are ideas that are difficult to implement. But, on the other hand, the task of designers, in my opinion, is to try to push the boundaries of the impossible. If they see that something is interesting, but unreal, they are still trying to achieve it.S: How often does something fundamentally new in technology appear? - There are not so many inventions. For example, in the ceramics of innovation there was no last 50 years, and only now nanotechnologies and methods of dirt repellency have appeared ... In general, more likely once a decade than every year.S: In general, more importantly, design or technology? - The movement is on both sides. Design creates problems - you are looking for a solution and get new technologies. And vice versa: in the course of fundamental research, new technologies appear - and thus additional opportunities for design open up.S: Your company has been around for over 100 years. Is it difficult to be traditional and modern at the same time? - I consider this not as a problem, but as an opportunity. You need to know your past in order to understand what to do next.

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