d+a | Issue 115 • Apr/May 2020

/ FEATURE / 18 HISTORY LESSON Elsewhere in the Aquademie, there is a wealth of information about hansgrohe, AXOR and even a section showcasing the evolution of the private bathroom from the beginning of the 20th century to present day. Tours can be arranged and if you are lucky, the lively and animated Billy Sum- Herrmann will be your guide. Rather than just display a laundry list of company milestones, Hansgrohe also chose to include significant historical moments that happened around the world to give visitors context. For instance, in 1993, AXOR was launched with Philippe Starck as its first designer. The year before, the Maastricht Treaty was signed, formally establishing the European Union. Six different spaces make up the section that is the Museum for Water, Bathrooms and Design. Sum-Herrmann traced how keeping their farm animals clean used to be more important to humans, right through to the introduction of the shower cubicle and later in the 1970s, a flower-power, hippie design style. Today, bathrooms have a much simpler aesthetic, with a focus on bringing nature indoors – something a collection like AXOR STARCK complements perfectly. The Aquademie also carves out space for its latest products, with the RainTunes range from hansgrohe currently taking the limelight. This is a digital shower system that controls the water, light, sound and scent in seven different multi-sensory scenarios, such as ones for the morning, relaxation and mimicking nature. FACTORY VISIT Two minutes away by car is the Group’s Schiltach West Plant, producing brass faucets. Running 24 hours a day, the 25,000m 2 Plant is manned by 600 employees who work across three shifts. This is one of three factories it operates in Germany, with the rest in France, USA and China. The Schiltach West Plant does end-to- end production, hosting everything from the foundry, to the polishing, electroplating, PVD and final assembly of the faucets. Safety is strictly enforced and quality control a key priority, as seen from how it also manufactures the final assembly machines. From only producing 15 products in 2001, the Plant today can roll out more than 500 different ones, including customised items. Back at Showerworld, my allocated one hour is almost up. I decide to go the whole hog and activate all four jet types of the AXOR ShowerHeaven. It feels like I’m getting a luxurious, full-body massage while standing up. Since I’m already in a swimsuit in the dead of a German winter, I figured I might as well make the most of it. 2. The Museum for Water, Bathrooms and Design in the Aquademie depicts the evolution of the private bathroom. / 3. Collect ideas on how to design a bathroom with products from AXOR and hansgrohe. 4. Get to know the Hansgrohe Group’s historical milestones. 2 3 4