Following Marcel Wanders’ collaboration with Laufen at Mondrian Doha – where he equipped 270 bathrooms with a mix of the brand’s standard products and bespoke pieces – the acclaimed designer has once again teamed up with the Swiss bathroom manufacturer, this time to create The New Classic.

Balancing both modern and traditional aesthetics, the collection comprises a bathtub, washbasin, bidet, toilets, bathroom furniture and accessories – all of which combine soft shapes and harmonious forms. 

“Laufen’s brief didn’t ask for a modern collection, nor did it ask for a classic one. All it asked for was a collection that it didn’t already have,” says Wanders. “We wanted to create a perfect intermediate range that would build a bridge between the cold and rigid architecture and the subject standing within it. The New Classic creates this transition perfectly.” 

Crafted from SaphirKeramik, the series features thin, elegant edges around the brims of its bathtubs and basins – an effect that is almost impossible to execute using other materials. The ceramic’s composition also incorporates corundum, a colourless component of sapphire that ensures the products are equally as robust as they are slender and stylish.

Joined by Marc Viardot, Director of Marketing and Products at Laufen, Wanders presented the collection in his home country of the Netherlands earlier this year, showcasing the products within a historical 19^th century home in Haarlem – a backdrop that had been thoughtfully selected to complement the range: “We chose to present it in this traditional and theatrical venue, but the pieces actually work in a host of different settings,” Wanders continues. “We could have done this presentation in an extremely modern building too and the products would have been just as well-suited. There is a complexity in the collection’s name, it really is both new and classic.”

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