Patricia Urquiola on Balcoon: "All elements are based on a double geometry."
Patricia Urquiola with the Balcoon collection she designed for Duravit.
Photo: Duravit
The
internationally renowned designer Patricia Urquiola has designed her first
bathroom range for Duravit: Architectural shapes and clear lines
create an aesthetic that simultaneously radiates warmth and accessibility. The Balcoon ceramics, bathroom furniture, bathtubs and
faucets create a combination of modernity, timeless elegance and minimalism. In this interview, Patricia Urquiola talks about the
bathroom series, her work and her approach to this project.
- Ms. Urquiola, how did the bathroom range come about?
The Balcoon bathroom range is not a high-end project, but rather the result of an intensive exploration around a product in the medium price segment. Duravit had a gap in its portfolio at this price point and asked me for a design that stands out from the crowd. They wanted a simple, quick project with a clear and direct design language – while simultaneously lending a degree of dignity and recognition value to the medium segment.
- What approach did you take?
I started with two essential forms: a cubic base and a cylindrical basin. These two very pure geometries form the basis of the project. We then incorporated some offsets, extended the form, and played with perspectives to create an architecture that is still compatible with an affordable price point. All elements are based on this double geometry. While the volume of the objects is strictly controlled, but there is a degree of leeway with the proportions.
- You inject some color into the bathroom…
Yes, this was a deliberate departure from the minimalistic aesthetic of pure White or Black. Our aim was to use clay as a material to create a kind of canvas that lends the sanitary objects more depth. The new ceramic color Clay Terra Matt is a true innovation within the range – inspired by traditional craftsmanship, it is central to the overall design. The earthy terracotta shade and the nature-inspired color scheme of the bathroom furniture, with nuances of White, earthy shades of Brown, and Anthracite, herald a new openness to color in the bathroom.
- Balcoon is a highly architectural project – the furniture is primed to interact with other design elements…
The furniture elements have a modular structure. The concept includes both open and closed elements – a versatile design that can be adapted to a wide range of room concepts and design approaches. While vanity units in the medium price segment are usually simple cuboids, Balcoon bucks this trend. The design language and the harmonious colors would also be a perfect match for other living areas.
- What do you love most about your work?
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When I’m working on a new project, I dive into people’s habits and lives – that’s what design is about and I like that about my job. I’m a big fan of hybridization, transformation, and improving things that already exist. It takes courage to redesign things and think differently. I love materials and am constantly rethinking them. Today, working with 3D printing can optimize material waste, but I love ceramic and that ancient side of things just as much... Instead of searching for the perfect line, purity for me is perceiving design as a cycle. Time works on materials and on me... and I work with time.
Information about the Balcoon collection you can find here.