What will the bathroom look like in twenty years? What spaces and technologies will reflect social changes? And in a world where ecology becomes an indispensable ethic, what are the responses of the world of production?
Research conducted by the Zukunfinstitut, the influential Frankfurt-based think tank helmed by Matthias Horx, with the collaboration of Grohe and Villeroy & Boch, has led to four scenarios, based on an online survey conducted with a sample of 1075 German citizens and integrated with analysis of social developments and present trends in international design.
The research points to a “multi-iD” bath, a multi-generational place using digital devices, capable of transforming based on the needs of the whole family, for example by altering temperatures, adding music or colored lights, but also with adaptable heights for fixtures and different wall facings. A bath where accessories are transformed thanks to the use of pervasive but invisible technology – as in the case of mirrors that can also be used as screens.
The “wellbeing bath,” on the other hand, responds to the need to feel healthy and fit. Tools installed in the space monitor the physical activities of users, checking on their state of health and proposing appropriate training activities thanks to dedicated apps.
The “zero emissions bath” reflects the need to reduce environmental impact. 75% of Germans see energy savings and efficiency as one of the most important aspects of the restructuring of the bathroom. New technologies could thus permit service modules, like faucets and drains, to self-regulate, recovering heat and transforming waste water into methane, so baths no longer depend on public water or electric utilities. This is a possible scenario, because the technologies are already in place.
Finally, the “relaxation bath” responds to the desire of 71% of the people interviewed to have a personal space in which to rediscover the balance between body, mind and spirit. It is an evolution of the concept of the spa, more focused on the holistic dimension and on private space, where technologies like virtual reality can produce therapeutic effects through practices of meditation.
“Time has become an increasingly rare resource and people are under greater stress. Therefore the new bath will continue to evolve from a rational space oriented primarily towards hygiene and care of the body, to a more emotional space where everyone can devote time to themselves, as desired, leaving the world behind,” says Paul Flowers, Senior Design Vice-President of Grohe AG.
by Valentina Croci
Jean-Michel Wilmotte
Jean-Michel Wilmotte has designed Nuovo Combinato for Teuco, a tub and shower in a single acrylic product measuring 170x75 cm, positioned in the corner of the room or at the center of the wall. The project meets the needs of the whole family, from tots to grandparents, with easy, safe access thanks to the 13 cm step and the full-height glass door.
Emo Design
Mizu by Emo Design for Scarabeo, a new collaboration with the company and winner at the Iconic Awards 2015, is a washstand with an “external chassis” and a cut in the basin with the primary function of draining the water to the inside. In ceramic, available in round form with diameter of 44 cm and a rectangular version measuring 44x70 cm.
Mizu by Emo Design for Scarabeo, a new collaboration with the company and winner at the Iconic Awards 2015, is a washstand with an “external chassis” and a cut in the basin with the primary function of draining the water to the inside. In ceramic, available in round form with diameter of 44 cm and a rectangular version measuring 44x70 cm.
Paul Flowers
One of the bath concepts created by Paul Flowers for Grohe and Villeroy & Boch in collaboration with the Zukunfinstitut. These scenarios illustrate pervasive technology in the modules of the space, managed from a distance thanks to an app for personalization of the room and the physical and psychological wellbeing of the user. Technologies that are already a reality, like the F-Digital Deluxe shower system by Grohe, controlled from a smartphone using the Grohe spa app.
Monica Graffeo
The modular, flexible Moode bath by Monica Graffeo for Rexa interprets the concept of the washstand equipped with compartments and accessories, based on the accessorized channels of kitchens. “I imagine being able to reach for razors or other electric accessories that are already plugged in, finding brushes, hair pins and other things close at hand,” Graffeo says. The system is modular and flexible, and the storage units can be hung on the wall or can rest on painted metal trestles.
Piero Lissoni
Silk Georgette by Alfredo Salvatori (above) is limestone worked with cuts to make it similar to fabric. The Romboo and Raw finishes are designed by Piero Lissoni.
Arik Levy
Arik Levy, for Kaldewei, designs a freestanding tub, completely glazed, featuring a border that rises slightly, conveying the sensation of immersion.
Daniel Debiasi and Federico Sandri of the studio Something
Daniel Debiasi and Federico Sandri of the studio Something have designed Abito for Hatria, a toilet and bidet featuring a hull for which it is possible to choose the colors, finishes and decorations. Like a personalized “skin” to combine with the facings and materials of the interior design. For the decorations, the two designers were inspired by the world of fabrics.
Daniel Debiasi and Federico Sandri of the studio Something have designed Abito for Hatria, a toilet and bidet featuring a hull for which it is possible to choose the colors, finishes and decorations. Like a personalized “skin” to combine with the facings and materials of the interior design. For the decorations, the two designers were inspired by the world of fabrics.
Paolo D’Arrigo
The Extrà ceramic technology by Cielo goes into the Shui Comfort collection designed by Paolo D’Arrigo. These are some of the thinnest bath fixtures in the world: just 5 mm thick. The collection includes four countertop washstands, a line of fixtures and a freestanding tub, whose spacious, soft design and beveled edges bring out the value of the thin materials.
The Swedish trio Claesson Koivisto Rune
The Swedish trio Claesson Koivisto Rune create their first collection for Ceramica Globo. Stockholm makes very delicate alterations to the traditional forms of washstands, toilets and bidets, to make them more functional. The collection features the Ceraslide finish.
Gianni Pareschi
Gianni Pareschi has designed the Magnifica collection for Scavolini Bathrooms: classic suggestions and a contemporary mood for maximum personalization. Available in 30 finishes with 16 different handles in metal, for a custom-made space.
Konstantin Grcic
Konstantin Grcic interprets the SaphirKeramik superthin ceramic by Laufen in the Val collection. The expressive details are based on simple gestures. Rounded edges and tubs with off-center drains make room for caddies for soap or objects. The volumes take form thanks to the material, which seems to be folded like a sheet.
Art is the project by Azzurra that sets out to give everyday useful objects, like a bath fixture or a washstand, an artistic value thanks to hand-painted decorations by selected craftsmen and artists. The graphic effects – very original for the world of bath furnishings – stand out for their colors, materic density and brightness, typical of ceramics fired at 1250°.
Art is the project by Azzurra that sets out to give everyday useful objects, like a bath fixture or a washstand, an artistic value thanks to hand-painted decorations by selected craftsmen and artists. The graphic effects – very original for the world of bath furnishings – stand out for their colors, materic density and brightness, typical of ceramics fired at 1250°.
Gianni Arduini
Tuck Type, designed by Gianni Arduini with Marco Frigerio for Ever by Thermomat, is a seat made in polyurethane, painted in the mold. Its solidity is provided by a steel support frame placed in the mold, embedded in the poured polyurethane. The bright colors and simple image make the seat different from what is usually available on the consumer market.
Tuck Type, designed by Gianni Arduini with Marco Frigerio for Ever by Thermomat, is a seat made in polyurethane, painted in the mold. Its solidity is provided by a steel support frame placed in the mold, embedded in the poured polyurethane. The bright colors and simple image make the seat different from what is usually available on the consumer market.
