Design icons made in Germany: HEWI

The revolutionary System 111 lever handle from HEWI is 50 years old and the innovative manufacturer itself has been around for 90. Their longevity alone is reason to take a look at the brand's latest developments.

By HEWI, Phoenix Design, Hadi Teherani and

February 3, 2019 | 11:00 pm CUT

Fifty years ago Rudolf Wilke developed System 111, a series of door handles made of polyamide that became an architectural classic. In 2019, HEWI presents new variants that seamlessly build on the product's success story

HEWI has every reason to celebrate in 2019. This year, the German manufacturer of architectural fittings and accessible system solutions looks back on 90 years of company history, including numerous innovations. HEWI demonstrates that excellent design combined with clever functions can give rise to true icons which, then as now, help to define architecture.

Revolutionary system design

At the centre of attention in 2019 is, above all, a design object born in the year Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. The System 111 door handle, conceived by Rudolf Wilke, was revolutionary in multiple respects in 1969. Formally distilled to the essential, it brought colour to the door for the first time and had an extremely comfortable feel. A door handle that, as it were, gave one a friendly greeting.

Ten years later, its distinctive formal vocabulary was taken up again with the Sanitary Range 477 to develop a consistent geometric design idea for application in all areas of the home.

On the occasion of HEWI’s 40th anniversary, Phoenix Design conceived the System 100 – a seamless extension of the basic idea of the 111 which, in the same spirit, offers planners a consistent architectural system for the design of doors, halls and sanitary facilities.

The first German accessible series 801, featuring the accessory series 477 (top), as well as lever handles System 100 made of stainless steel with minimal overall height are further highlights of the current collection (above)

Timelessly contemporary

Few designs can match the timelessness of the System 111. One would hardly suspect that it has a 50-year history, which explains its unabated popularity, even with imitators. But right up to today, the original leaves no room for doubt: the standard of precision in its engineering and production, especially with regard to its high-gloss surface, is unrivalled. This is all the connoisseur needs to be able to definitively identify the 111. Those who are less certain can feel the signature engraving on the back side of the U-form for confirmation.

To appropriately celebrate and honour the groundbreaking polyamide door handle, HEWI is introducing a new interpretation of the System 111. This Matt edition comes in the classic model or in a new design with either a mini or bicolour rose. In the bicolour version, the matt polyamide surface is combined with stainless steel and metallic refinements in PVD. With roses in the matt satin finish, the velvety look of the door handle is emphasised, whereas high-gloss surfaces make for a striking contrast. The reduced size of the rose in the mini version makes the door handle a style-giving element.

Door lever 111 in the Matt edition with mini rose (top) and with bicolour metal rose (middle). The embossing on the end of the handle confirms its authenticity (above)

Architectural elegance

In cooperation with the Hamburg architect Hadi Teherani, HEWI is developing the puristic Range 270 in stainless steel with a matt satin finish, with clear lines that attest to the greatest precision. This series of fittings is available exclusively with the scaled-down mini-rosette, which corresponds, in perfect balance, with the joint between the door handle’s column and lever.

The slim series 270 by Hadi Teherani features a silky matt surface made of polished stainless steel and an elegant mini rose. Photo top: © Roger Mandt, Berlin

The appeal of the unspectacular

The HEWI collection has also received fresh impetus from Benjamin Hein and Willi Möller, alias etage8. The design duo – masters of the nimbus of the unspectacular – are newly casting the company’s classic furniture fittings, with a skill that is immediately apparent. Fluidly drawing on the characteristic colours, forms and materials of the HEWI product line, the two designers highlight the functionality of the respective piece, expertly furthering the development of designs which have worked perfectly for decades now.

The Leipzig-based designer duo etage 8 has intensively studied the DNA of HEWI and developed a new series of furniture fittings from familiar elements. Photo top: © Hagen Wolf

Thinking solutions a step further

Since its founding in 1929, HEWI has designed solutions with a constant focus on the people who will use them. This year, the company’s youngest clientele will delight in the new furniture system ‘Drop it’, a customisable storage system that fits nicely into any kindergarten or primary school hallway. The fluorescent glow of the electricity-independent panic bar provides orientation and safety in the dark. The company is also continuing to develop helpful bathroom elements for everyday use: for example, the modular, adaptable System 900, heretofore available in stainless steel and chrome, will soon also come with a matt surface in white, black and different shades of grey.

Other products from this traditional manufacturer include a modular furniture system for children based on the Pippi Longstocking Principle (top), the 900 accessibility system for the bathroom (middle) and the glow fluorescent panic bar (above)

Project Gallery

Related Products

HEWI

Window handle | 100XAFG.1B

HEWI

Panic bar to EN 1125 | PS160XA10

Related Brands

HEWI

Manufacturer

Bad Arolsen, Germany