Duravit: Antonio Citterio

What was first purely functional has very quickly evolved into something much more. From a mere space to wash to a well-being sanctuary, contemporary bathrooms play a vital role in the home today, not only contributing to functionality but aesthetics, too.

As such, bathroom design has entered a new phase of luxury designs that have been exalted to functional pieces of art that deliver on both fronts.

Tapping into the zeitgeist, Duravit has collaborated with Italian architect, furniture designer and industrial designer, Antonio Citterio, to design the exquisite Aurena collection. Inspired by the Golden Ratio, the Aurena bathroom range exudes timeless elegance.

Here, we chat with the designer about his first project with Duravit.

What demands on a contemporary bathroom does Aurena fulfil?

“With the Aurena bathroom range, I sought to give very simple answers to various realities. At the washbasin we need elements for hanging a towel, we need large vanity tops, we need storage space – and it should all fit together perfectly. Aurena offers solutions for the room that go beyond mere aesthetics. We know we need a range of elements to cater to different spatial situations, including double washbasins. These are real things that reflect a real demand that goes beyond mere aesthetics.”

How did you approach the Aurena bathroom range?

“We took fundamental considerations as our starting point – the idea of the spatial solution, the idea of order in the bathroom, and the idea of handling water with care, which is why we reduced the size of the washbasins, for example. These were the most important initial pointers. We also wanted to transpose the experience from the hospitality sector to the private bathroom and execute it with a certain aesthetic flourish.”

How do you combine architecture and design in your projects?

“I engage with design as a component of architecture projects. As an architect, you’re well aware of the problems in construction projects and try to answer these. I think that in general, it’s an Italian tradition, and in particular the Milan tradition, that architects do design and not the other way around. If you only do design, you immediately think of an iconic object and whether it’s functional or not functional doesn’t matter. Conversely, as an architect, you tackle the problem and look at the best way of going about solving it. Indeed, it’s no coincidence that we started by looking for spatial “solutions” instead of designing an iconic object with Aurena.

To what extent is the design of Aurena inspired by the Golden Ratio?

“The Golden Ratio is all about the proportions, about how you divide up a space to create an aesthetic perception of balance that looks pleasant to you. The elegant integrated dividers that organize the area into differently sized sub-areas in accordance with the rules of the Golden Ratio are a key component of the design. The aesthetic effect that this achieves is important. The bathroom has become a personal space that conveys satisfaction. Here it’s no longer about mere function.”

What does the bathroom mean to you personally?

“In comparison to earlier times, when the bathroom merely served a practical purpose and was about pure function, perhaps for a large family, today it’s become a more personal room and not least a living space. In my bathroom, I have comfy chairs and books, I watch the news and listen to music. For me it’s the place where I can withdraw, be myself and start and end the day on as harmonious a note as possible. This works especially well because my wife and I have separate bathrooms, which is completely normal in the USA, where she grew up.”