d+a | Issue 115 • Apr/May 2020

/ FEATURE / 16 A VISIT TO THE HANSGROHE AQUADEMIE ALLOWED US TO SOAK IN ALL THAT THIS GERMAN MANUFACTURER HAD TO OFFER. WET, WET, WET curated by the hansgrohe and Axor brands. Like an overgrown child, I gleefully tried out the different products, while feeling a little bit guilty for playing with water (I was later reassured that it is recycled for use to flush the toilets in the facilities). The newest hansgrohe range, Rainfinity, was on proud display, its overhead shower with its three-jet variant considerately angled so that my hair would not get wet. I finally got to try the much-talked-about PowderRain spray mode, where the water droplets do indeed envelope than bounce onto the body like a fine cloak and gently moisten the skin. What had me reluctant to leave was the AXOR ShowerHeaven, by Phoenix Design. A sleek panel on the side controls four different jet types. Two come from directly above, including one that massages the crown of the head through a mono jet, while another two pairs can be activated through adjustable wings that open up and target either sides of the body. Fun aside, Showerworld is a wonderful concept by Hansgrohe that all architects and interior designers should experience to have a better understanding of the Group’s shower product offerings. B ring your swimsuit. This was the instruction given ahead of a visit to the Hansgrohe Aquademie in Schiltach, a town in the Black Forest in Germany. It would not be unusual, except that it was January and the temperature typically hovers around zero degrees Celsius then. But pack a swimsuit I did and after a two-and-a-half-hour journey from Frankfurt, I learnt why. While it has evolved into offering products for the bathroom and kitchen, the Hansgrohe Group still has a strong focus on the shower experience. This, visitors to its Aquademie (or headquarters) get to sample first-hand, literally, through Showerworld. A VERITABLE DOWNPOUR Hour-long slots of the entire 200m 2 space can be booked, mainly made up of a huge, open-concept bathroom, installed with more than 20 different shower experiences 1. ShowerWorld is a 200sqm space with more than 20 shower experiences to enjoy. WORDS LOW SHI PING 1