designer | ish special | interview
The launch at ISH in Frankfurt last month of the new Happy D.2 and X-Large collections from Duravit are the latest fruits of an impressively long collaboration between the prolific design duo and the German sanitaryware manufacturer that stretches back to the early 1980s.
The link began with Dieter Sieger, the founder of the design studio which is now run by his two sons, designer Michael and manager Christian.
From the stunning surroundings of Schloss Harkotten – a beautiful 18th Century castle in Northern Germany – the brothers have overseen a succession of influential product launches for Duravit and a multitude of other brands in kitchens, bathrooms and beyond.
The new products presented at ISH represent significant re-workings of some of their previous designs. With Happy D.2 in particular, the big challenge was how to go about reinventing a product which already had such strong characteristics. Christian Sieger explained: “We started with the premise of setting out to do something completely new, perhaps with the same design understanding but with a new look that embraces the trends of today, with a lighter and simpler aesthetic.
“As we went through the process however, we found that we kept touching on some of the same areas as Happy D in terms of design lines and structures. So we figured, why not take these structures and transform them into a new product that uses some of the elements that people are familiar with.
“The original Happy D is now 15 years old, but it’s only now you see Happy D.2 that you notice the real differences in style and tastes that we have seen in that time in terms of the preferences for objects becoming lighter, more elegant and more sleek.
It is representative of a broader shift, says Michael Sieger: “I think in the past, luxury products had to have that sense of weight and size, whereas now, high-end is more about a refined look, a lightness to the design and the use of less material.
“It started about the time the iPod came on the market I guess. It made a real difference to how we perceive the things around us. Now we are all carrying around phones that are 5 or 6mm thick and we’ve got used to – and even expect to see – design with that kind of aesthetic.”
Christian adds that it is a trend that has permeated numerous different sectors – in the automotive market for example, cars are being made with aluminium frames to minimise the weight they have to carry, suitcases are being manufactured from ultra lightweight materials to make sure most of the weight being checked in is your belongings and not the case to carry them in. “It is as much an eco issue as anything else, but it makes sense to harness new technology to make things easier and more efficient to move – if it enhances the aesthetic too then that’s even better.”
Transferring this lightweight trend into the world of ceramics is certainly a technical challenge, but one which has evolved over recent years thanks to new technology. Michael explains: “As in any industry, we are seeing a great deal more precision in what it is possible to manufacture. It is partly our role as designers to push our partners to continue to develop new techniques and to challenge existing processes, but at the same time, we have to consider the cost implications.”
Christian agrees: “That’s the big challenge. We’re working with a natural material which has been more or less the same for a couple of thousand years and the potential scope for innovation is different to, say, metal or plastic, where the quality of the raw material can always be further refined and open up new possibilities.”
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“Also for fabric, wallpaper and upholstery, there has been a revolution as inkjet technology has transformed what they are able to do in size, scope and quality.”
Embracing these new opportunities is a vital part of Sieger Design’s future work however, especially their projects in the bathroom sector. Christian says that the industry has come a long way in the time they have been designing products for the bathroom,
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The X-Large furniture series is all about maximising storage space in the bathroom. It offers console depths of 550mm or 480mm and comes in a choice of eight different finishes from real wood to a high gloss lacquer
Rounded corners characterise the new Happy D.2 range, giving it a more refined elegance than its predecessor. The washbasin is available with matching furniture, as a surface-mounted basin or as a classic pedestal basin. The collection also includes a mirror cabinet with an integrated sound system
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