Laufen SaphirKeramik washbasin: thin-walled basin with tight edge radii

A revolution in the design language of ceramics: the Swiss bathroom specialist Laufen has set a real trend in bathroom design with the SaphirKeramik. Because the Laufen SaphirKeramik is an innovative sanitary ceramic, which has all the hygienic advantages of traditional bathroom ceramics, but it is superior in many ways. Their special properties are exceptional hardness and strength, which allow thin-walled shapes and tight edge radii of 1-2 mm for washbasins. The formulation of the innovative material offers unprecedented possibilities and freedom in the shaping and lets the workpieces appear in its characteristic shiny white. In the naming Laufen refers to the mixture of the mineral corundum, which occurs as a component of sapphire in nature in various modifications. This colorless component of sapphire was brought to market maturity by Laufen in several years of research and development work.

Since its introduction in 2013, the Laufen SaphirKeramik has already become a favorite of many architects and bathroom planners, because it allows a completely new design language with ceramic in the bathroom, which is not so feasible with conventional bathroom ceramics.

However, not only does Laufen SaphirKeramik enable a more precise and streamlined design language, but it also has functional and ecological advantages: For example, more functional space is gained for SaphirKeramik wash basins with less material. At the same time, sapphire ceramics are just as hygienic and safe with drinking water as traditional ceramics and like these can be completely recycled. The lower cost of materials, which is also due to a simplified structure of the ceramic parts, but has other benefits in terms of environmental protection and sustainability, because in the fire, production and transport of sapphire ceramics less raw materials and less energy are consumed.

In the meantime, Laufen has gained extensive experience with innovative ceramics and has integrated numerous bathroom products made of SaphirKeramik into its product range. In addition to the wash basins of the successful complete bathroom collection Kartell by Laufen and the sapphire bowls of the Living Square collection, the basins of the Laufen Val and Laufen Ino collections are now also part of this exclusive circle. Val and Ino have emerged from the so-called SaphirKeramik project, to which Laufen invited the two designers Konstantin Grcic and Toan Nguyen, in order to further explore the design potential of the material in concept studies. For his recent projects with SaphirKeramik, Laufen has invited Marcel Wanders and Patricia Urquiola, two of the most important and well-known designers worldwide.

Also in the latest extensions of Val Saphirkeramik is used. The series concentrates with new wash basins especially on compact and sophisticated bathrooms. It shows that Saphirkeramik from Laufen is predestined for this task. Thanks to their fine walls and narrow edge radii, the wash basins made of the innovative ceramic are hardly noticeable, which makes the room effect more transparent and free even in small bathrooms.