Conca & Check by Ludovica + Roberto Palomba for IdealStandard. A reinterpretation of the washbasin that has changed the history of bathroom furniture

The Conca washbasin collection by Ideal Standard was devised with the idea of reinterpreting a great classic for the modern era. It drew inspiration from the original line designed in 1972 by Paolo Tilche: a range that marked a radical innovation while defining a path that transformed the object from a purely practical element to a combination of form and function. Ludovica and Roberto Palomba, starting from the iconic washbasin, have softened the corners to modernize it with a squared and minimal design in line with contemporary trends, while keeping its character intact.

The Check line of mixer taps features a square design with an ultra-flat mixer and a slim handle for maximum comfort. Its formal lightness, achieved through the design of a very slender and slightly curved handle, and its flat proportions complete the skyline of the washbasin, integrating it with the Conca washbasin.


At a glance

What is it?
A washbasin with an architectural look and a mixer tap inspired by the buckle of a Gucci belt from the 80s.
What is the design concept?
To wed the restrained lines of the Conca washbasin (inspired by the Ideal Standard collections of the 70s, which introduced the concept of good design to the bathroom world) with the totemic presence of the mixer.
How is it made?
Conca. Starting from the iconic washbasin, the designers softened the corners to modernize it with a squared and minimalist design reflecting contemporary trends, keeping its unique character intact. It is made from fine fireclay.
Check. It features a square, ultra-flat design and a slim handle for maximum comfort. Made of brass.
How is it produced and where?
Conca is produced in Italy at the Ideal Standard factory at Trichiana in the province of Belluno through medium pressure casting. It is then introduced into a robotic glazing system which guarantees the consistently high quality of the product, and finally fired in a tunnel kiln at 1240°C.
Check is produced in the Ideal Standard factory at Wittlich (Germany) with the latest generation of solid brass, guaranteeing strength and resistance. With Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) technology, thin coatings are obtained with excellent chemical resistance to wear, impact, and discoloration. In practice, the tap is placed in a vacuum environment and the vaporized finish is shot at it, with the vacuum creating pressure around the tap and so ensuring the perfect adherence of the finish.
What is it like
Conca: sophisticated, versatile, minimal.
Check: iconic, evergreen, useful
How do the designers describe them?
“Conca is a striking volume without being bulky, with mirror-finish and slightly rounded surfaces that convey the impression of the body in fusion. Check is a gesture, a small flicker on the handle that gives uniqueness to a friendly everyday product and perpetuates the magic to which we are now accustomed of running water in the home. Both products make an important statement for the company that looks to the world of interiors through a new vision, with the Atelier Collections line, seeking to be the protagonist of bathroom architecture.”