“AXOR is setting new standards in terms of bathroom customisation. This enables architects, interior designers, and discerning customers to realise their creative visions, meet their special requirements, and express their personalities. It all starts with the colour: AXOR design objects are available in up to 12 exclusive AXOR FinishPlus colours - from polished to brushed, from glossy to matt,” explains Olivier Sogno, Vice President AXOR, Hansgrohe SE. These are brilliant surfaces that owe their robustness and durability to production at the highest technical level. From individual items, i.e. one piece, to large quantities, AXOR FinishPlus surfaces have character. The PVD surfaces are the result of intensive development and refinement in the vacuum chambers of the AXOR Centre for Excellence at the Hansgrohe Group headquarters in Schiltach in the Black Forest. An electric arc is discharged in a high vacuum, and gases combine with zirconium. The mixture hits the chrome surface of the object and gives the surface unprecedented brilliance and a new colour. In addition, an additional layer up to 0.3 μm thick provides greater resistance. This makes the fitting more resistant to scratches and cleaning agents, or the salt in the sea air.
“On request, almost any AXOR product can be further personalised, customised and adapted via AXOR Signature. Custom finishes, length changes, engravings and entirely new developments are possible. Nothing stands in the way of applying your own initials to a tap - the AXOR experts use precise craftsmanship and state-of-the-art technology to express your own personality in the bathroom,” Sogno continues.
“An individually designed living space is much more than aesthetics - it reflects attitude, values and lifestyle. Good interior design supports the personality of the resident without pushing itself into the foreground”, says Stephanie Gehringer, Founder Stephanie Gehringer, Studio for Interior Design and Architecture in Munich, Germany.
Until the late 20th century, most bathrooms were functional wet rooms. The idea that you could spend longer than necessary in the bathroom because you wanted to feel good was still foreign to most people. As was the idea of wanting to personalise this space. It was precisely because Hansgrohe recognised the potential of the bathroom as a living space that the company established its own design brand, AXOR, in 1993.
AXOR built on the experience of its sister brand hansgrohe in the field of design and consistently expanded it. However, it has also developed its own approach: if you want to help shape the transformation of the bathroom, the best way to do this is together with designers, interior designers, and architects. To this day, the variety of selected design partners from these disciplines with whom AXOR works successfully is unique. This is also based on the conviction that real progress is more likely to be made if all those involved are given as much freedom of design as possible and if they engage in an open, appreciative dialogue. For over 30 years now, AXOR has been working with the world's best architects, interior designers and product designers to develop visions of the bathroom as a living space and collections that offer a variety of sustainable solutions for the realisation of personal bathrooms and the individual use of water.
Based on the conviction that good design creates products that are not only beautiful, but also long-lasting, AXOR and its design partners develop solutions at the highest aesthetic and technological level that allow for the respectful, conscious use of water, while at the same time providing new pleasure in the water experience.
About Hansgrohe UK
With its brands AXOR and hansgrohe, the Hansgrohe Group, based in Schiltach/Southern Germany, enjoys a reputation as a leader in innovation, design and quality within the bath and kitchen industry. Founded in 1901 in the Black Forest, the company gives water form and function with its taps, showerheads and shower systems. In combination with sanitary ceramics and bathroom furniture, the company offers individual design options for holistic bathroom experiences. The Hansgrohe Group stands for long-lasting quality products and for responsibility towards people and the environment. As part of its sustainability strategy, Hansgrohe is equipping all water-bearing products with water-saving technologies by 2030.
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Hansgrohe Group has made a five-million-euro strategic investment to ensure production capacity for special surface finishes on its design brand AXOR continues to outstrip market demand.
The company has completed a major expansion project covering the Schiltach-based AXOR Centre of Excellence and Offenburg production centres in Germany.
This has included significant investment in three new physical vapour deposition (PVD) chambers used to apply special product coatings on AXOR solutions. Impressively, this has enhanced the Black Forest-based company’s PVD team by a significant 50%. The increased PVD capability comes alongside a 60% increase in brushing capacity to satisfy escalating market demand for unique finishes.
Alongside capacity increases, the investment has also seen the streamlining of a number of additional production processes to further develop manufacturing capacity and improve lead times.
Strong customer demand for AXOR products, including AXOR FinishPlus special surface finishes, has seen the brand defy market conditions with double digit growth in the last year. This significant increase in interest in AXOR has led to considerable investments in production facilities to ensure supply always meets growing levels of demand.
The investment strategy will see lead times on product orders reduce, offering the reassurance that anticipated orders can be fulfilled without delay.
Jay Phillips, Managing Director – UK & Ireland for Hansgrohe Group, comments: “Through continued strategic investment in production improvements to grow our capabilities, we will secure long term groupwide benefits as we focus on leading the market in support of our design, specifier and project partners and their clients.
“The additional production capacity will optimise our innovating design and manufacturing strength as part of an ongoing groupwide commitment to prioritise those recommending our products, from designers and architects to our design, specifier and project partners, and we thank them for their ongoing support.
“We’ve had a fantastic year for AXOR and market demand for design-led solutions, such as the AXOR FinishPlus special surface finishes, continues to grow. In line with our growth, it was the right time to invest in our production facilities. We are certain that the significant investments made in our manufacturing capabilities will ensure that design, specifier and project partners can confidently continue to choose special surface finishes.”
Kicking off its 2025 Clerkenwell Design Week (CDW) schedule, Tuesday 20th May between 3pm and 7pm, will see Hansgrohe open its doors for an afternoon packed with advice and inspiration - all dedicated to those wanting to make the most of a career in design.
Hosted in its refreshed Water Studio in Clerkenwell - a space where inspiration aligns perfectly with innovation - attendees will have the chance to explore the very latest from Hansgrohe, experience a taste of its German Black Forest HQ base thanks to the Botanical Boys, and network with experts from the sector.
Students, people new to the sector through to those hoping to make even more of their design passion, are all welcome to sign up and join in.
Hansgrohe’s dedicated event at Clerkenwell Design Week provides the ideal location to gain valuable advice from experts and peers alike and has a host of highlights to get involved with.
Setting the challenge to budding designers, the event will see the launch of the 2025 AXOR Emerging Talent Design Competition.
Open to current interior design students and those who have graduated within the past three years, it aims to inspire the next generation of creative interior design talent and help shape the future of luxury bathrooms and follows the success of the inaugural year in 2024, which drew high calibre entries and recognition from across the industry.
Prizes include a trip to Schiltach, Germany - the home of AXOR and hansgrohe - plus a year-long pass to the Festival of Hospitality.
The afternoon event will also Include valuable portfolio advice delivered by leading architects from the area, followed by a networking session led by business development experts, Always Thinking.
Hansgrohe is renowned for working with designers, and the day will be rounded off by a keynote interview with Tolù Adẹ̀kọ́ of Adeko & Co, hosted by Hamish Kilburn of Kilburn Communications.
Refreshments will be available throughout the session before rounding off with a host of pizza treats.
Those interested in joining simply need to register via LinkedIn, click here to register.
Other activities will be happening at the Black Forest inspired Water Studio through the week. Highlights include:
Wednesday 21st May • Bath Salt Making with Hackney Herbal (11 AM–1 PM): Guests can participate in a relaxing, hands-on workshop creating bespoke bath salts using herbs and essential oils. Ice cream and Pimm’s will also be served.
Thursday 22nd May • The Legendary Design Party (5 PM–8 PM): Celebrate the close of CDW with authentic German street food, cocktails, music from DJ Anna, and captivating entertainment, all hosted in the transformed Water Studio.
For further information on Hansgrohe’s Clerkenwell schedule, click here.
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