The presentation took place in the Central House of Artists, and the DNA hall barely accommodated everyone who wanted to attend this event. This interest in the collection of bathroom furniture can be easily explained: for the first time the design of such products was developed by a Russian architect.
The German concern Duravit, one of the largest manufacturers of sanitary accessories and bathroom furniture, traditionally cooperates with the world's leading designers. Those who have designed for the company include, for example, Philippe Starck and Norman Foster. The Duravit concern began to cooperate with Sergei Choban in 2008, when he invited the architect to develop his own author's series of furniture and equipment for bathrooms.
As Sergei Tchoban himself told the audience, he chose calm classical forms typical for the object and architectural design of the 18th and 19th centuries as a source of inspiration in the work on the Esplanade series. Soft, flowing lines and large streamlined shapes, reminiscent of antique furniture, are designed to be placed in spacious bathrooms, which, according to the architect, are increasingly becoming an integral part of living space, a continuation of the suite of rooms.
Actually, this is precisely why the new collection is called "Esplanada" - this term, according to Sergei Tchoban, perfectly reflects the principle of harmony of space and comfort, which is the basis of the project.
The Duravit range is available in two designs, Esplanade Silk and Esplanade Oak. The first is distinguished by a spectacular surface finish, covered with a semi-gloss milky enamel. In the finishing of the buildings of the second version, natural wood is used - bog oak veneer. Otherwise, the design of the bathrooms of both variants is the same, right down to the original handles made from a leather strap fixed to a chrome holder.
The work, started by Sergei Tchoban in 2008, three years later culminated in the launch of the Esplanade collection into serial production. The official slogan for this Duravit product is “New Luxury”. And it's hard to disagree with him: the refined elegance of the furniture invented by Tchoban really defines the concept of luxury in a new way.
At the presentation, the chairman of the board of directors of the Duravit factory, Franz Kook, and the head of the Duravit representative office in Russia and the CIS, Igor Galin, also spoke to numerous guests. They talked about the history of the concern, which is almost 200 years old. From a small manufactory for the production of pottery and sanitary products in 1814, the company has grown into a global organization that collaborates with world famous designers and relies on the best environmentally friendly materials for its products.
In addition, on the first floor of the Central House of Artists, an exposition dedicated to the work of Sergei Tchoban and telling about his main buildings, realized both by the German office of nps tchoban voss and the architectural studio SPEECH Choban & Kuznetsov, was unfolded.
