Showers, faucets, and Hansgrohe brand bathrooms are in the Berlin Reichstag, the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai, on the Queen Mary II liner. Philippe Grohe, grandson of the company's founder and head of the Axor brand, talks about how design helps defeat competitors.

“Innovation and design are what interest us in the 21st century. During its more than a century-long history, the company has invested hundreds of millions of euros in the development. Naturally, it brings to the market inventions that set the tone for the entire plumbing industry. Take at least the automatic drain-overflow system, which appeared in 1934. Or Pura Vida with push-button jet mode and massage jets that change the angle of their direction (Hansgrohe Pura Vida, 2009). Back in the late 1960s, Hansgrohe AG was the first to draw attention to the importance of the aesthetic component. In 1974, the TRI-BEL hand shower was the first Hansgrohe model to receive a design award. This was followed by nearly three hundred international professional awards.

Coll. Pura Vida, diz. Phoenix Design: faucets for baths and sinks, thermostat, various versions of shower heads. Finishing combines white gloss and shiny chrome. 2009

In 1994, we relied on high design and since then have raised sanitary fittings to the status of a sign product. The idea to single out an independent brand Axor within the brand, focused on design products, belonged to my father Klaus Grohe, today I became the head of the brand. A reliable guarantee of success is long-term cooperation with the best designers in the world: Philippe Starck, Antonio Citterio, Jean-Marie Massot, Patricia Urquiola, Burullek brothers, Phoenix Design, etc.

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The most fruitful to date has been cooperation with Philippe Starck. Our first joint collection was released in 1994. The last one - Axor Starck Organic - was released in 2012. It is also notable for the fact that it includes a mixer with the most economical water consumption today: 3.5 l / min

Coll. Axor Starck Organic, diz. F. Stark, in the decoration of gold. Bath thermostat, call. Axor Starck Organic, diz. F. Stark. Chromium. Bidet mixer with two handles, call. Axor Starck Organic, diz. F. Stark. Chromium. Koll. Axor Starck Organic, Diz. F. Stark. Koll. Axor Starck Organic, Diz. F. Stark. Koll. Axor Starck Organic, Diz. F. Stark. . Koll. Axor Starck Organic, Diz. F. Stark. Bathroom, equipped with models of call. Axor Starck Shower Collection, integrated into the living space. Highlighted shower overhead shower Shower Heaven. Wall mounted mixer from call. Axor Starck X. Колл. Axor Starck X.

The newsmaker of 2014 was “living classic” by Antonio Citterio, who presented an extensive collection of 37 elements from Axor Citterio E. An outstanding architect and industrial designer, one of the founders of “elegant luxury” (or “luxurious simplicity”) - the most popular stylistic trend in modern design.

Coll. Axor Citterio E. The handles of thermostatic mixers have a different shape: the cruciform controls the water pressure, the cylindrical controls the temperature.

Citterio was among the first who began to rethink the role of the bathroom in the house: in 2003 he combined it with the living space of a bedroom and designed furniture for zoning. Then it seemed a revolutionary step. Today, the fusion of spaces is a megatrend, which is followed by all manufacturers of the premium segment. This approach places special demands on the appearance of the equipment, stimulating designers.

Sink faucet, call. Axor Citterio E, diz. A. Citterio. Chromium. Single Lever Basin Mixer Call Axor Citterio E, chrome. Coll. Axor Citterio E, diz. A. Citterio. The concept of timeless is applicable to design of a ruler - "out of time".

Our WaterDream project has already become a tradition: the most influential authors present installations — the way they see a modern bathroom, and after about two years collections are launched on their basis. Excellent work performed for us Japanese studio Nendo (head Oki Sato) and the Swedish Front, their breaking stereotypes of the collection without exaggeration can be called unique. The path from concept to real product took only three months - this has never happened before! Okie Sato developed a shower combined with a low-voltage LED luminaire. The combination of water and light looks impressive, their natural union dissolves the boundaries between the rooms. What has traditionally been located in different rooms - a reading lamp in the living room, a shower in the bathroom - can now be enjoyed without being tied to a certain space.

Front presented a stylish technogenic design: valves resemble the equipment of a submarine. The cone-shaped shower is not composite, as usual, but cast. For the first time applied telescopic rod allows you to adjust the height of the shower, adapting to your height. Our innovative Select program is integrated into the product: switching from an aerated jet to a regular one is done by pressing a button.

Installation in the framework of the project WaterDream. Overhead shower call Axor LampShower, combined with a lamp, diz. Okie Sato (studio Nendo). Call Top Shower Axor LampShower, combined with a lamp, diz. Okie Sato (studio Nendo). Installation of Front design studio as part of the WaterDream project. Axor overhead shower with holder, diz. Front, chrome.

Сегодня в оснащении ванных комнат сложно изобрести что-то принципиально новое. Тем не менее интересные концепции возникают. Так, братья Ронан и Эрван Буруллек развивают идею индивидуализма и свободы выбора. Их Axor Bouroullec — конструктор: из более чем 80 элементов архитектор составляет для своего заказчика оптимальную комбинацию. Идею вариативности подхватил Старк. Его квадраты-души размещаются свободно, в различных сочетаниях. А Патрисия Уркиола несколько лет назад разработала ванную комнату для двоих — для Нее и для Него. Новый продукт создан модным английским дизайн-дуэтом Barber&Osgerby: их система Axor One сводит к минимуму количество элементов в зоне душевой.

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Our study showed that if the life of an ordinary collection is limited to a maximum of five years, then the designer has been successful for decades. For example, the very first series of Stark with the famous joystick-feather, which was launched on the market 20 years ago, remains a hit until now. The timeless concept so popular today is definitely applicable to them. Their forms are fashionable today, but after 10 and 20 years later they will remain just as relevant.

Coll. Axor Bouroullec, diz. R. and E. Burullek. Coll. Axor Bouroullec, diz. R. and E. Burullek. The bathroom for two is for Her and for Him. Coll. Axor Urquiola. The bathroom for two is for Her and for Him. Coll. Axor Urquiola. Coll. Axor Urquiola: single lever mixer. Flush-mounted mixer, call. Axor Urquiola. Wall mounted sink mixer. Coll. Axor Urquiola.

Ten Hansgrohe factories are located on three continents. All shower products are manufactured in factories in southern Germany. So we proudly write on the Made in Germany packaging. Mixers for European and Russian consumers also come from the hands of German craftsmen. The shower equipment is made of brass (overhead showers) with chrome plating, hand showers are made of granulated base, followed by applying seven (!) Layers to protect against overheating. Mixers and accessories are also made of durable and beautiful brass (multi component copper-based alloy). Today, products can be made in twelve finishes, including polished or polished chrome, “under gold”, “under red gold”, black chrome, nickel, bronze ... Coatings are applied using the PVD method, which makes them particularly durable.

Система для душа Axor One, диз. Barber & Osgerby. Система для душа, колл. Axor One, диз. Barber & Osgerby. Система для душа. Axor One, диз. Barber & Osgerby.

Trends are driven by technology. Actual touch mixers, which are controlled by touching the panel. However, everything connected with electronics requires high-quality installation, which can be trusted only to a specialist. We have simplified the task: the types of showers are switched mechanically - with a button on the watering can. This is Hansgrohe's award-winning design award. The newest development where it was applied is the Hansgrohe Select 700 collection. ”

Select 700, Hansgrohe. Switching mode is carried out by pressing the button. Shower thermostat from the Select 700 series, Hansgrohe. Switching mode is carried out by pressing the button. Bathroom with shower system Select 700, Hansgrohe.