Photos: Axor / Hansgrohe SE 

“We would like people to feel at ease in the bathroom and enjoy their water experience. To achieve this, we provide products that are perfect for them in every way,” says Philippe Grohe, Head of Axor. “We especially support architects and interior designers in their efforts to create luxury bathrooms for their customers. Through the Axor Manufaktur, we are able to facilitate this process by meeting the architects’ specific needs in an easy, straightforward manner so that planning certainty is ensured ,” the grandson of Hans Grohe concludes. 

 

The members of the team are particularly proud of the recently completed bathrooms for a Chinese luxury hotel compound, where they adorned the taps with Swarovski crystals. However, the Axor Manufaktur also successfully realize s smaller projects for private customers, such as producing exclusive surface finishes for master bathrooms of mansions. 

 

“One of our specialties is the lengthening of a tap,” explains Lothar Schoch. “To begin with, someone with a trained eye needs to determine whether it is actually possible to increase the length of a tap, because the design and the underlying geometry may impose certain limitations. Provided it is technically feasible, the actual work steps in the process of i n- creasing the length of a mixer require many hours of labor and the right tools for the precise fusion of two main bodies,” adds Schoch. 

 

At the Axor Manufaktur, artisanry is complemented with state-of-the-art technology. In-house PVD chambers are used to apply coatings of custom metal finishes to the taps. PVD technology, which stands for “Physical Vapor Deposition Technology”, involves the use of noble gases under laboratory conditions; they are “ignited” to produce a vapor which then coats the objects with a custom finish. The resulting surfaces are highly resistant against scratches, cleaning agents and harsh environments. 

 

Custom Design Poses Technical Challenges Where individual customer requests include a custom finish such as gold-optic or black-chrome, changes to the underlying design have to be taken into account. “Cruise ships generally feature mirrored bathroom layouts, which means the holes for the connecting rod must be drilled on the left or the right - hand side of the tap,” explains Lothar Schoch. “A fabulous resort in the Pacific recently asked for taps from the Axor Starck collection with extended spouts and with different handles. In addition, we applied a nickel-colored PVD coating to the surfaces – not just for aesthetic, but also for practical reasons: the salt in the sea air on the island would attack galvanized chrome surfaces over time,” Schoch adds.  

 

The Inclination towards Gold Continues The Gold - optic finish accounts for the bulk of the special surface finish requests. Bi - color finishes, where a touch of gold augments the tap’s chrome finish, are also very popular. The Axor Manufaktur currently offers a standard range of fifteen different finishes; additional colors possible and are coordinated directly with customers. The application of special lettering, logos or coats of arms to taps, shower heads and accessories by means of laser technology, is also a part of everyday operations for the small team in Schiltach, Germany. Modifications of this kind enhance every bathroom, giving it a personal note. 

 

Further information: 

www.hansgrohe.com