To achieve this, we provide products that are perfect for them in every way,” says Philippe Grohe, Vice President, Design Management. “We specially 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 needsin an easy, straightforward manner so that planning certainty is ensured,” the grandson of Hans Grohe concludes.
The eight-member team around Lothar Schoch, Head of the Axor Manufaktur, is capable of meeting the most diverse range of customer requests – from engravings to custom finishes and adapting the dimensions of individual fittings. “Our mission is to assist our customers in transforming their bathroom vision into reality,” says the Head of the Axor Manufaktur. Whether an order is intended for a global project or private customer, precision and a passion for detail are of the essence in the manufacturing of exclusive sanitary fittings. All eight employees have been specially trained to meet the strict qualitative standards of the Axor Manufaktur. After all, each piece is beveled and polished by hand in cooperation with the specialty departments before being checked for flawless quality. This requires a high skill level and experience in the handling of metal objects and their exquisite surfaces.
For example, the even finish on the brushed surfaces is produced meticulously by hand. 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 realizes smaller projects for private customers, such as producing exclusive surface finishes for master bathrooms of private villas and 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 increasing 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 stateof-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.
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 generallyfeature 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. And at the trendy gourmet restaurant “The Jane” in Antwerp, Axor kitchen mixers and Axor Uno² electronic mixers in brushed black-chrome meet the specifications of renowned interior architect Piet Boon; the elegant, somber surfaces are a perfect match for the purist ambience of the converted chapel.
The Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola, on the other hand, chose Axor Urquiola in brushed gold-optic for the bathroom taps of the re-designed Spa at the famed Four Seasons in Milan. 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 with a high qualitative standard.
For more information, visit www.hansgrohe.com.sg.
