AXOR waterdream by front - re-thinking the shower

AXOR waterdream by front – re-thinking the shower
image © designboom

for 20 years, AXOR, the designer brand of hansgrohe, has been working together with international designers to re-envision the way the bathroom is perceived, by developing ideas that consider this area of the domestic environment as a space for living. ‘in this regard, the focus is not primarily on the products, but on providing additional scope for creative development for breaking down established behavior patterns, and for conducting an open, interdisciplinary dialogue,’ says head of AXOR brand, philippe grohe.

collaborating with the studios of patricia urquiola, jean-marie massaud, philippe starck and the bouroullec brothers in the past, the latest designers the german company  has invited to reflect on  and propose their vision for the bathroom of the future are nendo (see designboom’s coverage of the japanese designer’s ‘AXOR waterdream’ concept here) and swedish trio front (sofia lagerkvist, charlotte von der lancken and anna lindgren). designboom travelled to the hansgrohe headquarters in the black forest of germany to attend the official presentation of the installations which concentrated on the shower. ‘within our overall understanding of the use of space, the interaction with water, and the multifaceted individual needs of people, we focused specifically on the shower this time, interpreting it anew with front and nendo,’ states philippe grohe.

‘AXOR waterdream’ by front highlights the technology and network of pipes which make-up a shower system
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the ‘AXOR waterdream’ created by front delves into the technical origins of the water installation in which we see the network of pipes and hardware components which are typically concealed behind a wall, exposed and visible to the eye.  ‘front shows how something that is normally hidden from view can become a visually appealing and valued spatial construct,‘ comments philippe grohe. the swedish design group has taken the most elementary components of what makes up a shower system–the pipes, valves, couplings, funnels–and have used them to construct their installation which is a combination of copper pipes, elbow fittings and three shower heads. though dealing with something complex by emphasizing the technical aspects of a shower system, and the paths water takes to arrive to us, their encompasses a simplicity that is characteristic of scandinavian design. 

faucet handle
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the installation is a composition of copper pipes, elbow fittings and three showerheads
image © designboom

close-up
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image © designboom

from left to right: sofia lagerkvist, charlotte von der lancken and anna lindgren of front
portrait © designboom