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[February 2009]
Duravit Design Days 2009 – Optimism for the Future
In the run-up to the ISH in Frankfurt, Duravit staged an exclusive four-day event to present its exciting new products to 1,500 customers, journalists, architects and planners from over 50 countries.
Cinematic productions set the scene for the presentation, which was accompanied by detailed product information. “In this crisis situation, the Duravit Design Days are particularly important for us,” said Chairman of the Board Franz Kook.
A complete bathroom range plus three additional business areas are Duravit’s recipe for continuing the success of previous years. Franz Kook firmly believes that better business can be achieved not with cheap goods but “with exceptional products that create a new quality of life in the bathroom. With this in mind Duravit, far from cutting back on development, has stepped up the tempo”.
The new products focus more than ever on the human element: well-being, relaxation and emotional appeal are the watchwords.
Franz Kook showed how Duravit in collaboration with Phoenix Design and Hansgrohe has put the new demand for ‘emotionality’ in the bathroom into practice with a complete bathroom range. PuraVida adds a freer and more feminine approach to design. Fittings, ceramics, tubs and furniture from PuraVida are interleaved to create a unique transparency and represent the new poetry of lightness in the bathroom, said the company.
Other ranges were introduced. “Duravit and Philippe Starck are celebrating a premiere in the kitchen!” announced René Muller, Sales Manager, Germany.
The sink has a central role in the kitchen. As such it makes high demands in terms of quality and convenience. Starck K has a completely new and striking form with right angles as a prominent feature. This device makes for large work areas and a conveniently sized sink.
Ceramic materials already demonstrate an impressive robustness in day-to-day use in the bathroom. In the kitchen, however, the ceramic surfaces have to meet different requirements to those in the bathroom. In contrast to the fine fireclay that is usually used for kitchen sinks, Duravit has therefore developed an innovative process, a special material mass, which is characterised by a higher level of impact resistance.
The variety of new products, the exciting atmosphere and the enthusiasm of the Duravit team impressed the visitors, who shared Franz Kook’s optimism for the future: “I see potential for our products as a sound investment. In these critical times many people are again looking to real estate. The bathroom obviously plays an important role in maintaining and increasing the value of a building”.
ENDS