Val provides solutions for compact and demanding bathroom architecture
The new SaphirKeramik washbasins Laufen co-developed with designer Konstantin Grcic for the Val bathroom collection take on this challenge in a new and innovative way. The new hand washbasin received a special award for its compact elegance from the Innovation Award Architecture+Technology.
The latest addition to the Val series targets compact and demanding bathroom layouts in particular with new washbasins. SaphirKeramik by Laufen proved positively predestined for this
task. With its fine walls and slender edge radii, the washbasins made of the innovative ceramic material take up hardly any space, which makes the space look neater and clearer, especially in small bathrooms.
In addition, the SaphirKeramik washbasins really do save space, as they let you install smaller basins with the same internal dimensions as a larger basin. In other words, you can choose a smaller washbasin for less spacious rooms without losing much basin volume. For example, the new Val hand washbasin measures just 340 x 220 mm including a small faucet ledge on
the right and an overflow, yet still offers a deceptively generous sized bowl.
The jury of the 20th Innovation Award Architecture + Technology recognized the “the product for its compact elegance, especially for small rooms as architecture rarely focuses on small rooms. The washbasin owes its elegance to SaphirKeramik, which allows narrow, filigree edges. The edges of this washbasin merge with a compact tap area. The washbasin has everything it needs in the smallest of spaces and is also beautifully designed.”
New functions integrated in the basin
However, Laufen is taking things one step further with Val: The company uses the additional space created in the basin to integrate new functions in the form of semi-dry shelves – after all, surfaces with fine, three-dimensional textures are a special feature of SaphirKeramik. That gives users storage space to keep soap, shaving brushes or cosmetics close to hand, as well as sufficient basin volume.
In this style, the company is now launching a slim 600 x 315 mm washbasin, a 1200 x 480 mm double washbasin and a 550 mm- wide, asymmetrical washbasin with a round basin and an inclined front. The angled front can be useful in very tight spaces, for example if a door needs a little more space to turn. Another clever solution is the towel rail tailored to the shape of the washbasin, which is also available. They are simply fastened to the wall using the washbasin’s anchor screw.
First cuttable SaphirKeramik washbasin
In challenging layouts, it also often helps if the washbasin fits exactly into a recess in a wall, or can be sized to fit into a space between a wall and a piece of furniture. The new additions to the collection also provide a solution for applications of this kind – the first cuttable SaphirKeramik washbasin.
To this end, Laufen designed the washbasin as a circular bowl protruding from a cubic ceramic shelf on the left or right-hand side. The shelf also serves as a faucet ledge, and can be cut to a custom size ex-works on its longer side. The cut surface is re-sealed with ceramic material, so that the cut itself can no longer be seen. As a sophisticated detail, a SaphirKeramik toilet paper dispenser, tailored in shape and size for the shelf, is the perfect match.
Premium faucets round off the Val range
Laufen offers a complete series of premium faucets specifically for Val. The elegant washbasin faucets look slender and light, and therefore harmonise perfectly with the thin-walled SaphirKeramik of the washbasins. Practical details include an energy-saving cold start function and the absence of a rosette, making cleaning the faucet and ceramics far easier.
