hansgrohe

Hansgrohe, homonym of the international group of which Axor is also part, is a well established company in the field of showers, shower systems, bathroom and kitchen taps and kitchen sinks. By fusing together a pioneer whim, the German know-how in engineering and an excellent design, Hansgrohe brings to life sanitary products made with a carefully studied design, easy use and smart functions. The aim of products by Hansgrohe is to turn bathrooms and kitchens from the functional spaces they have ever since been considered, into spaces dedicated to well being where water is an element to be fully experienced. Hansgrohe started off as a small business in the Kinzig valley, in Germany. Today it counts thirty three subsidiaries, twenty two sales offices and about five thousands employees all over the world, many of whom work in Schiltach central headquarter where everything began.

Hansgrohe, technology and design made in Germany

The array of products by Hansgrohe encompasses showers, taps, thermostatic mixers, accessories and wastes systems designed in a way to stand the test of time and with an extraordinary manufacturing. All products are developed in Germany and made with top quality materials, apt to be used with drinkable water and stress tested. The thirty year-long collaboration with Phoenix Design has forged the formal language of the shower and taps produced by Hansgrohe, many of which have been acknowledged prestigious design awards. The most iconic are Raindance, an innovative shower archetype and the kitchen sink combination Hansgrohe C71. Design is coupled with technological research oriented towards ease of use, simplicity and efficiency, specifically aimed at improving the quality of life of the final user. The Select system allows to choose the water source or the type of jet by simply touching a button; AirPower makes use of air to create a system inside the shower that vaporizes the air; Eco Smart brings down energy consumption by 60%; eventually QuickClean eliminates waters residues.

The history of Hansgrohe and the coming to life of showerpipes

It was the 15 June 1901 when Hans Grohe started a craft business for the manufacturing of metal-spun products in the small town of Schiltach, in the Black Forest. Brass pots, switches parts and tin showers for the home bathroom; the products that were at that time destined to a niche market took only few years to spread to all German households. At that time showers made for a convenient alternative to bathtubs and this enabled Hansgrohe to become a specialist in the sector. In 1928, on the other hand, tin hand showers became an alternative to overhead shower. 1953 marked a true revolution with the introduction of Wallbar, the system that for the first time enabled to fix the shower at the desired height, a solution that is taken as a standard for bathrooms everywhere in the world, today. When Hans Grohe passed away in 1955, his eldest son Hans Grohe Junior took the reins of the company. In 1968 the younger brother Klaus joined him. The latter had the merit of bringing to the table matters related to environment protection and sustainability in the sanitation industry. Those years marked the beginning of the collaboration with designers such as Hartmut Esslinger, Georg Spreng and Andreas Haug. Together with Esslinger – who afterwards founded the frog design studio – Klaus won the first of Hansgrohe design awards for the Tri-bel hand shower, that for the first time proposed a colored version of this product, with variants in red, blue, yellow and brown. In 1977 Klaus Grohe took over the exclusive direction of the company which had by then become a multinational reality and created the Hansgrohe brand. As of today Klaus is the honorary chair, while the family tradition is passed on to his sons Richard and Philippe Grohe and the products of the Hansgrohe Group have gained a global outreach. Here are some among the most noticeable works: the luxurious Queen Mary 2 transatlantic and the highest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, in Dubai.