A collaboration between German bathroom brand Axor, Swiss university ECAL and glassblower Matteo Gonet has resulted in a series of prototypal taps that show how future bathrooms could incorporate bespoke interchangeable fittings.

Axor WaterDream 2015 is a series of concepts for glass spouts that can befastened onto Axor’s revolutionary U-Base fixture

Tapping innovation: Axor’s WaterDream 2015 | Novità

Axor WaterDream 2015 is a series of concepts for glass spouts that can befastened onto Axor’s revolutionary U-Base fixture

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Updating a bathroom is one of the most daunting tasks in any home improvement project, but what if changing the style of tap on your sink or bath was as easy as swapping furniture around? This vision prompted the latest Axor WaterDream – a project that was initiated more than 20 years ago by the design brand to explore new directions for bathroom design through collaborations with leading creatives. The Axor WaterDream 2015 takes as its starting point the brand’s innovative U-Base fixture, which enables any spout to be easily attached and detached and has the potential to revolutionise the development of bathroom fittings by offering a level of customisation far beyond anything the industry has seen before.

The Axor U-Base has a simple mechanism for locking and unlocking the spouts, and automatically shuts off the water when the spout is detached to prevent overflowing

Tapping innovation: Axor’s WaterDream 2015 | Novità

The Axor U-Base has a simple mechanism for locking and unlocking the spouts, and automatically shuts off the water when the spout is detached to prevent overflowing

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The idea behind the Axor U-Base was introduced in April 2014 in combination with the Axor Starck V washbasin mixer, which became Axor’s first transparent mixer. The glass spout designed by Philippe Starck reveals the Axor U-Base fitting and the innovative safety-stop function that automatically stops the water flow when the spout is detached.

The Vanity Mirror by Thomas Elliott Burns combines the tap with a mirror and a small shelf to demonstrate the multifunctional potential of these fixtures

Tapping innovation: Axor’s WaterDream 2015 | Novità

The Vanity Mirror by Thomas Elliott Burns combines the tap with a mirror and a small shelf to demonstrate the multifunctional potential of these fixtures

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To showcase the versatility of the Axor U-Base, Axor teamed up with students from the Bachelor Industrial Design and Master Product Design courses at the University of Art and Design in Lausanne, also known as ECAL. The students were given the brief to design a unique spout that could be made from glass and combined with the Axor U-Base to suggest a distinctive functional or aesthetic direction. An exhibition at Axor's Milan showroom during the city's recent design week presented five selected designs that were produced by Swiss glassblower Matteo Gonet in his Basel workshop.

Carafe by Léa Pereyre and Claire Pondard functions as a removable vessel with a handle that also forms the spout

Tapping innovation: Axor’s WaterDream 2015 | Novità

Carafe by Léa Pereyre and Claire Pondard functions as a removable vessel with a handle that also forms the spout

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The project was overseen by the head of Axor, Philippe Grohe, who gave the students complete freedom to interpret the potential of the Axor U-Base in their bespoke solutions. "I like to share experiences with younger people because it often results in very fresh ideas," Philippe Grohe explains. "I was very happy with the quality of outcomes that were achieved in a short period. In less than 12 weeks we were able to kickstart a project, generate first ideas and produce four functional prototypes."

The tradition of using glass for drinking water informed Jordane Vernet’s decision to stack drinking glasses on top of a conical spout

Tapping innovation: Axor’s WaterDream 2015 | Novità

The tradition of using glass for drinking water informed Jordane Vernet’s decision to stack drinking glasses on top of a conical spout

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Among the proposals envisioned by the ECAL students are fixtures that incorporate additional uses relating directly to the supply of water. Thomas Elliott Burns seamlessly connected the spout to a raised surface incorporating a mirror, while Jordane Vernet integrated a stack of drinking glasses on top of the fitting. Léa Pereyre and Claire Pondard used glass to create a removable carafe with a spout that also acts as a handle.

Bend by Katarzyna Kempa and Stanislaw Czarnock focuses on simplicity of manufacture, with a spout made by cutting and bending a glass cylinder

Tapping innovation: Axor’s WaterDream 2015 | Novità

Bend by Katarzyna Kempa and Stanislaw Czarnock focuses on simplicity of manufacture, with a spout made by cutting and bending a glass cylinder

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Iris Andreadis designed an elegant organic fitting that recalls the shape of a lotus flower, and lets water spiral up through the glass neck and spill over the lip of its surface. The glass-forming process was explored in Katarzyna Kempa and Stanislaw Czarnocki's design, made by slicing a simple cylinder vertically and bending one section down to form a spou. The resulting non-functional prototype demonstrates the difficulties involved in working with water, as the form causes water to spill out of the sides.

Lotus by Iris Andreadis exhibits a natural form that creates a pleasing pool of water that flows gently over its protruding lip

Tapping innovation: Axor’s WaterDream 2015 | Novità

Lotus by Iris Andreadis exhibits a natural form that creates a pleasing pool of water that flows gently over its protruding lip

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The outcomes of the Axor WaterDream 2015 project remain on display in the Axor showroom at Via Durini 15 until 31 October 2015

Tapping innovation: Axor’s WaterDream 2015 | Novità

The outcomes of the Axor WaterDream 2015 project remain on display in the Axor showroom at Via Durini 15 until 31 October 2015

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The designs realised for the exhibition illustrate the creative scope that the Axor U-Base enables, which Axor hopes will one day give designers and architects the possibility to develop their own unique spouts.

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