Ideal Standard’s Together World Tour Stops in the Iconic City of London
The Together World Tour, Ideal Standard’s innovative event series created specifically for the international architecture and design community, stopped in London on 23 September for the third of six events taking place across the globe. An innovative fusion of digital content, the Together World Tour aims to inspire attendees by diving into the design culture of the six unique cities.
Following the success of the first two events in Milan and Berlin, which saw the brand launch the striking new Linda-X and Extra ranges from its new Atelier Collections, the London event premiered Tipo-Z, the flagship piece from Atelier. The collections are influenced by the brand’s rich design heritage and are the result of the partnership with Italian design studio Palomba Serafini Associati (PS+A) and its co-founder Roberto Palomba, who is also Ideal Standard’s chief design officer.
The latest film in the series showcased London’s unstoppable creativity and its influence on design the community, including the development of Tipo-Z. From celebrated artist Soheila Sokhanvari, to textile and fashion designer Darren Cross, the immersive event introduced some of London’s most celebrated artists, as well as exploring its most inspirational moments from over the years.
The event was the first in the series to be premiered at a physical event, the Design London exhibition, as well as being streamed live from the Together World Tour microsite. At the exhibition, Ideal Standard also hosted several unique and creative sessions based on the key themes explored in the film, including forums with Soheila and Darren. Attendees at Design London were also able to experience the first UK showing of the Atelier Collections at Ideal Standard’s booth.
The Clerkenwell Session, named after the historic and creative area of London that hosts Ideal Standard’s London showroom, premiered the film. At the session, Jan Peter Tewes, CEO of Ideal Standard International, shared the future strategic vision of the company, and explored the icons that have shaped and influenced the creation of the Atelier Collections.
Referencing one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, the London Bridge Session was hosted by British/Iranian artist Soheila Sokhanvari, whose artwork was being shown in the Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery nearby. Following a display of the unique digital content, the workshop focused on Soheila’s non-uniform practice, dealing with contemporary and historical political landscapes. Soheila also delved into how she achieves such extraordinary colour in her work through the traditional egg tempura technique.
Darren Cross, fashion designer, textile designer and fashion illustrator, hosted the final showing of the video at the Shoreditch Session, which gained its name from the art and design hub in the east of the city. The final workshop centred on Darren’s experience creating iconic patterns through his work with Orla Kiely, Eley Kishimoto, Vilshenko, Solace and Mother of Pearl.
Commenting on the event, Jan Peter Tewes, Joint CEO of Ideal Standard International, said: “For centuries, the rich diversity of London has allowed it to lead the world in design, art, music and more. The mix of its boroughs and cultures helps create the energy that London is known for, and is something we were intrigued to delve into a little deeper. It was great to be joined by the international design community online, as well as by those attending Design London in person, to explore how that distinct London attitude has contributed to the launch of Tipo Z.”
A Flagship Icon from Atelier: Tipo-Z
Tipo Z is the centrepiece of the Atelier Collections and a modern reimaging of the Gio Ponti’s timeless Zeta basin, created by the Italian architect and designer in 1954. Approaching design as a timeless concept is a key notion at the heart of Atelier and Tipo-Z, which harness the past, present and future for inspiration.
The flagship washbasin of the Atelier Collections draws from the original Zeta basin as well as the design and cultural diversity of cities like London to create a unique, statuesque washbasin with distinct character. Using cutting-edge technology, Tipo-Z has been cast as a single piece, with no gap between basin and pedestal, creating a complete, singular form which would not have been technically feasible in 1954. Owing to these technological advancements, Ideal Standard has used new materials and methods to create a durable, lightweight, ultra-thin basin.
Roberto Palomba, co-founder of PS+A and chief design officer at Ideal Standard, said: “Tipo-Z is a natural evolution of Gio Ponti’s original Zeta basin, drawing inspiration from modern life, the diversity and viewpoint of varying cultures, and Ideal Standard’s rich design heritage to create a unique piece for the present-day bathroom.
“Tipo-Z has been sculpted into an architectural, monolithic silhouette, expressing elegance and allowing it to become the shining star of the bathroom. We believe in designing pieces that push the boundaries of what’s come before and challenge what we know about bathroom design. By capturing the elegant, iconic elements that Zeta expressed, we have reinvented its shape and used new technologies and materials to create a striking, lightweight single cast basin.”
The next event on the Together World Tour will take place in Paris, with the final two events in Dubai and Shanghai. To register for these events, view previous ones and access exclusive additional content, visit www.togetherworldtour.com.