Starck X bath collection

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Duravit -- Interior Design, 8/22/2005 12:00:00 AM

"Four million years ago, you were bacteria," stated Philippe Starck at the unveiling of the Duravit headquarters in Hornberg, Germany, last December. He designed the five-story, steel-clad building in collaboration with Wöhrle+Wöhrle Architekten, a local firm, and among its many highlights is his 23-foot-high toilet, which stands proud behind a clear-glass facade. A cylindrical, double-height shaft draws cool air and natural light into the 100,000-square-foot interior, a mix of office and showroom space.

Amid the countless fully functioning vignettes is Sieger Design's Happy D collection of ceramic tubs, basins, and vanities, as well as Starck's newest bath collection, the ceramic Starck X.

Born of a partnership between Duravit and Hansgrohe, Starck X heralds a minimalist, geometric aesthetic. Basins are cylindrical. Bidets are fitted with noise-reduction gaskets and elongated outer pipes. European-style toilets append to vertical or horizontal outlets. Sink finishes include chrome, platinum, and sunny yellow. Why X? Says the Frenchman, "Because it's pure Starck—nothing to see, nothing to say, impossible to make less." circle 312