LAUFEN replicates and restores bathrooms from mies van der rohe's villa tugendhat

reproducing objects from the past requires a deep-rooted knowledge of design heritage combined with a keen attention to detail. at salone del mobile in milan, LAUFEN showcased their bespoke bathroom series which included herzog and de meuron’s collection for their upcoming tower in new york. demonstrating the company’s expertise in specialist limited production sanitaryware, eight pieces have been replicated, all made of sanitary ceramics taken from modernist architect’s ludwig mies van der rohe’s iconic villa tugendhat in brno, czech republic.

LAUFEN was able to precisely replicate eight pieces, all made of sanitary ceramics
image © designboom (also main image)

the villa was originally completed in 1930 and is included on the UNESCO list of world heritage sites as an outstanding example of a building in the international style. overtime, many of the architecture’s original features had been removed or damaged. where there were no existing products to use as a guide, LAUFEN’s team relied on preserved photographs and old catalogues to recreate four different models of washbasins, two sinks, a toilet and a bidet that contribute to the authentic feel of the rooms.

the company was responsible for producing a series of porcelain items for the modernist landmark’s bathrooms,
kitchen and one of the bedrooms
image © designboom

the process of restoring villa tugendhat took several years and required input from a range of experts to accurately recreate the property’s original interiors. LAUFEN was responsible for producing a series of porcelain items for the modernist landmark’s bathrooms, kitchen and one of the bedrooms, which needed to replicate pieces specified by the master architect.

no existing products to use as a guide, LAUFEN’s team relied on preserved photographs and old catalogues to recreate
image © designboom

mies van der rohe meticulously specified every detail of the building’s interior to ensure it matched his exacting standards of aesthetic rationalism and practical performance; he chose sanitary ware manufactured at a factory, in znojmo, dating back to the year 1878 under the brand ditmar urbach, which is part of the LAUFEN group. the factory now produces bathroom products of the highest standard and was able to recreate the pieces under the supervision of designer daniel piršč. villa tugendhat reopened to the public in 2012 and with LAUFEN’s replicas, visitors can now view the rooms exactly as mies van der rohe intended them to be.

the ceramic replicas on display at salone del mobile 2016
image © designboom