Longtime Duravit partner Philippe Starck’s flowing, modern forms have fused with the company’s timeless design for nearly 20 years. With a recently updated Starck 2 collection released in 2013, Duravit sat down with the prolific designer to delve inside the product range and explore his thoughts on all things bathroom design.
Mr. Starck, which new design concepts can we expect from you in the bathroom?
A new form can be of interest for certain products; however, in the bathroom, new forms are irrelevant as the focus here is on truthfulness. Now that the throw-away society has had its day, there is only one modern parameter and that is the elegance of durability: every purchase must be made for life – and for the life of the next generation. Sanitary ceramic is an almost indestructible material and, when combined with timeless design, gives rise to Duravit bathroom ranges that really can last forever.
The new Starck 2 products are much more refined. What do you think is so special about the Starck 2 series?
Twenty years ago, we used strong symbols to create an iconic design, which was also very minimalist. Over the years, we have further honed this design. The technical specialists at Duravit have succeeded in translating these more refined forms into specific products. And it has been shown that less really can be more—however, only when the reductions are made in the right places.
So is the new Starck 2 a bathroom series that will last forever?
The new Starck 2 program takes its lead from the intelligence of ergonomics. This means that we can talk about a collection that is shaped by intelligence and elegance – the elegance of movement, the elegance of truth: parameters that also stand for timelessness and durability.
ABOUT DURAVIT
Founded in 1817 in the heart of Germany’s Black Forest, Duravit is a leading supplier of sanitary ceramics, bathroom furniture, whirlpool tubs, accessories, and wellness ideas. Duravit operates in 60 countries worldwide and has been honored with numerous national and international awards for its innovations in design and technology. The company’s collaborations with internationally renowned designers such as Philippe Starck, Phoenix Design, EOOS, Norman Foster and Sieger Design yield forward-thinking, environmentally conscious and award-winning products that bring the bathroom to life.
For more info, visit http://duravit.us/