Experience water
The design of the Axor Massaud basin fitting expresses a radical disavowal of any functional purpose. The main issue is not hygiene and cleanliness, but rather the sensual, emotional experience of the element of water. In his desire to create a perfect balance between space and object, the French designer manages to incorporate the fitting into his idea of the bathroom as a living area. No longer is he creating simply a functional product, but rather turning it into a de-technified ritual sculpture. This is achieved on the one hand by the harmonious and well balanced interplay of contrasting forms, some flowing, round and organic and others strictly geometrical. On the other hand, the appearance of the distinctive rectangular, perfectly cut tray from which the stream of water pours into the basin, breaks with all the conventions of a traditional fitting.