Products AXOR

AXOR x Ushi Tamborriello: A Place of Magic and Respite in the Black Forest

Gretel and Hänsel Bathroom Concept

Schiltach, March 2023. With ‘Gretel and Hänsel’, Swiss-based interior architect Ushi Tamborriello and her team present a bathroom of understated luxury in which folkloric references tell their own stories of wonder. Set in Germany’s Black Forest, the 15sqm concept is Tamborriello’s personal response to the AXOR ‘Make It yours!’ campaign, and is a stunning example of the interplay between narrative and space. Imagined as a private residence for a modern-day Hansel and Gretel, the titular characters of the Brothers Grimm fairytale, the bathroom is a perfect reflection of individual luxury for two distinct personalities. A selection of AXOR products including AXOR MyEdition, the new AXOR Suite basins and AXOR ShowerComposition as well as AXOR Universal Rectangular Accessories and AXOR Drain, finished in Matt Black or Polished Red Gold, ensures ‘Gretel and Hänsel’ is a dream come true.

“AXOR's products revolve around the concepts of individuality, personalization, and ultimately the personality of the user,” says Tamborriello. “It quickly became clear to us that we could best approach an "invented individuality" through scenography. With this realization, worlds opened up and one narrative motif followed the next.” By conceptualizing the bathroom in this way, Atelier ushitamborriello was free to pull from a rich, diverse patchwork of influences. “We were inspired by the variety of new possible materials of the faucets, the washbasins, the accessories; the dark woods, bronze, marble,” adds Tamborriello. “The quarries of Carrara became a topic, of Michelangelo and his idea of the liberation of sculpture from stone… Ultimately, however, it was the Black Forest, home of AXOR, with its many, sometimes dark tales such as ‘The Cold Heart’ by Wilhelm Hauff, which led to the iconographic ‘forest fairy tale’ Hansel and Gretel.”

The story of Hansel and Gretel is well known, but Tamborriello reimagines it through the prism of individual expression and personal luxury within the bathroom. At the washbasin, for example, Hansel uses the square version of the AXOR Suite washbasin, while the circular version appears on Gretel’s side. AXOR MyEdition faucets crown both washbasins; in a cork plate and Brushed Bronze finish for Gretel, and a white marble plate and Matt Black finish for Hansel. “This duality characterizes the entire design. The light, white marble of the side walls contrasts with the heaviness and elegance of the black marble on the floor, ceiling and back wall,” says Tamborriello.

Another reason for this duality relates to the bathroom’s dimensions. “We wanted to use these 15 square meters in a well thought-out and innovative way,” says Tamborriello. “We moved in the room not only from front to back, from right to left, but also from bottom to top.” This idea is perfectly expressed in the ladder positioned between the washbasins. Climbing it, one finds a cork doorway instead of a glass mirror, leading into a world of wellness and solitude.

“Spatially, there is also a dichotomy of functional areas: freshening up for the day in the front section… and bathing rituals in a protected space at the back,” says Tamborriello. In both spaces, subtle lighting by Jörg Krewinkel and his team at Zürich-based studio Lichtkompetenz deepens the restorative, intimate atmosphere. In the shower area, a fluted glass window ensures privacy as well as connection to the outer world. These details help construct a space that meets a global trend; the demand for bathrooms offering both a retreat from daily life and a stage for self-expression. In ‘Gretel and Hänsel’ these twin desires combine in the AXOR ShowerComposition showerpanel in Matt Black, for example, or the AXOR MyEdition wall-mounted bath spout, topped with a cork plate. Alternatively, the AXOR ShowerCompostion shower module hand baton and thermostatic module provide immersion and personalization, and are finished in Brushed Bronze. The AXOR Universal Accessories serve as functional sculptures throughout the bathroom, and appear here in Polished Red Gold or Matt Black.

Despite its contrasts, or perhaps because of them, the Atelier’s vision is at once cohesive and distinct. A sense of balance is found between all elements; from the bathroom’s layout to the multitude of references, the color palette to the preferences of the personalities. “Working on this sensitive interface between exhibition, installation and classical interior design required a deep engagement with the subject matter,” says Ushi Tamborriello. “Our goal was to guide the project into a resilient spatial statement, poetic but also able to withstand the storms of everyday life.” In this regard, ‘Gretel and Hänsel’ certainly succeeds in telling its own tale.

About Ushi Tabmorriello

Ushi Tamborriello and her team create one-of-a-kind spaces that unify a particular place, time and function. The Swiss-based interior architect and production designer founded Atelier ushitamborriello in 2004, and has garnered international acclaim for her considered, refined and highly original concepts. From wellness centers to remarkable hotels, restaurants to exhibition installations, her works are always aesthetically independent of one another, and contain layered atmospheres to allow for new, sensuous experiences.

About AXOR

AXOR conceives and manufactures iconic objects for luxurious bathrooms and kitchens. Developed in collaboration with world-renowned designers – Philippe Starck, Antonio Citterio, Jean-Marie Massaud and Barber Osgerby among them – AXOR products come in a variety of styles. All AXOR faucets, showers and accessories are produced to the highest standards of quality. With an expertise that extends far beyond the products themselves, AXOR inspires and enables architects, interior designers and the design-savvy public. Together with AXOR, they shape water-related spaces that reflect the unique personality of the user. Part of the Hansgrohe Group, AXOR is a forward-thinking brand dedicated to developing distinctive products, manufactured with excellence.

Contact

Astrid Bachmann
Deputy Lead Corporate Communications, Global PR AXOR