A glass tap full of innovation

By Philippe Grohe, Axor, Hansgrohe

Last month, the stage was set for the global design community to descend on Milan for the annual Salone del Mobile. Best known for its fabulous furniture launches, bathrooms were also high on the agenda with functionality meeting new design innovations the key theme for this year.

This year, glass featured as a central material in many lighting and furniture designs at the fair and much more curiously… in a bathroom tap.

Created by Axor, the designer brand of Hangrohe, alongside French designer Philippe Starck, the world premiere of our new transparent glass wash basin mixer, Axor Starck V, caused a sensation in Milan with around 200 journalists jostling to catch a glimpse of it.

During a special presentation at the fair, Philippe Starck, explained the philosophy behind this mixer and its vortex, saying “it represents the absolute minimum. Totally transparent, almost invisible, and enclosing a miracle that is the vortex”.

This revolutionary tap was seen by around 5,000 visitors to the fair during the week-long event. Many passers-by smiled when catching a glimpse of it through the windows into our showroom and curious to take a closer look, they ventured inside with large crowds quickly building.

The vortex inside the Axor Starck V left many people amazed and these same people were also fascinated by its technical sophistication, such as the detachable and easy-to-clean spout and its low water consumption.

Axor Starck V is available in three versions from September 2014 onwards: a single lever mixer, a higher single lever mixer for wash bowls and a two hole model – all with a water-saving flow rate of just 4 litres per minute. For more information visit the Hansgrohe website.