The internationally acclaimed and eclectic designer Patricia Urquiola reveals the third generation of Laufen's SaphirKeramik - she is taking this extraordinary material with great sensitivity into a third dimension - creating this new collection with the name: Sonar.

Expressive and yet minimalist, Sonar’s formal language plays with arcs and angles, emphasizing the slender lines of SaphirKeramik. To further enhance the lightness of the objects, Urquiola and Laufen developed a fine, three-dimensional texture for the external surfaces of the washbasin bowls.

SaphirKeramik remains a protagonist in Laufen’s production and it continues transforming the way interior design is applied in the world of bathroom culture.

The textured version can be selected as an optional alternative to the traditional smooth surface and is reminiscent of sound waves propagating in water.

The Sonar collection includes floor-standing and wall-mounted washbasins, two washbasin bowls, and a double washbasin bowl, also available in matte white and all made of SaphirKeramik together with a new furniture collection.

What's Included

• Bathtub
• Click-clack waste with a cover made of Sentec, Part Nr. H291342
• 1-meter flex-pipe, Part Nr. H294439

Not Included

• Pre-drilled faucet holes
• Backrest, Part Nr. H292340
• Bath tray, Part Nr. H293340
• Noise control band, Part Nr. H295551

Features

• 63" W x 32 1/16" D x 21 1/16" H
• Made of Sentec Solid Surface
• Back-to-wall version, with one-piece panel
• With integrated overflow
• With click-clack waste and a cover made of Sentec
• Without whirl system
• Without drillings for roman tub filler
• Cut-out in the floor is needed for housing the siphon
• Use capacity 71.33 gallons/270 liters
• Total capacity 89.82 gallons/340 liters
• Limited 5-year warranty

Specifications

Installation Requirement

Cut-out in the floor is needed for housing the siphon.

Designer: Patricia Urquiola

In your opinion as a designer, which new creative possibilities do SaphirKeramik offer?

The wafer-thin yet robust walls, lightweight characteristics, surface finish, and plasticity make the SaphirKeramik material unique.

Which technical challenges did you have to overcome during the development of the Sonar collection?

The surfaces are delicate and thin but define spatial volumes as a whole. Together with a subtle balance of edges and curves, dialogue between elementary forms that harmoniously interact with one another makes the design solutions unique. The sloping surfaces on the base of the basin guide the water smoothly to a transverse recess that obscures the drain both ingenuously and elegantly.

Which is the most impressive building or architecture you have seen recently? And why?

The headquarters of the Fondazione Feltrinelli in Milan, designed by Herzog & de Meuron. In my opinion, the building symbolizes Milan. It is a city that looks toward the future, is constantly changing, is in a state of radical upheaval, represents a new place for people to meet - not only for the residents of Milan - and is a city of culture designed by major architects.

What are your favorite everyday belongings?

I don't really have a special attachment to a specific object. In my working life, I often use my mobile phone to stay in constant touch with family, employees, and friends.

What do you do to relax and where is your favorite place to do it?

My passion for my profession helps me relax. I am lucky to have a job that I love, that completely fulfills me, and that I can get really enthusiastic about. My cultural imprint is inspired by memories of emotions and instinct. I feel drawn toward reaching every achievement possible.

What must a bathroom offer and how should it look so that you feel comfortable using it?

Nowadays, areas of our living space have a wide variety of different functions: a shower is longer a place of cleanliness, but also of well-being; colored lights are used on the walls, and you have the choice of selecting different types of water jet, from relaxing to invigorating and so on. The bath is a private space, an intimate area where there is a fundamental need for physical comfort and whose function has become self-evident. The space we dedicate to ourselves is becoming more extensive and the selection of each individual element contributes to highlighting this concept of well-being.

Sentec Solid Surface

Sentec is a cast mineral material made of different natural minerals, which are combined together according to a special Laufen formula. This is used to create individual bathroom objects, which thanks to their excellent product properties are predestined for use in washrooms and bathrooms. This material is suitable for fabricating bathtubs, washbasins, worktops, accessories, furniture, shower trays, or wall panellings. It is even possible to produce sharp angled corners and complicated shapes without any visible joints because the individual parts are produced separately and later invisibly glued together.

And, it is possible to rework products made of Sentec at a later date. For instance, surfaces can be cut individually without any visible differences in the material or the installer is able to use conventional drilling tools to drill holes to fit taps. With the assistance of a repair kit even light damage, scratches or stains can easily be repaired.

The standard color of Laufen products made of Sentec is white. Many other colors are available for custom-made products. The gentle, smooth surface of the material is pleasant to touch, the matt gloss surface assures an appealing visual effect. And a further important plus for the bathroom: the anti-slip properties of Sentec in accordance with Class B ensure the user feels safe, for example under the shower.