Fair Review: CERSAIE 2011 Bologna – the leading international exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings

In the 'OiO' bathtub and wash basin designed by Michel Bouquillon, Antoniolupi exhibited modern bathroom objects made of polyethylene and produced as a single seamless entity by the rotational moulding process. Polyethylene can be fully recycled and is so light that when you move house you can take the bathtub or wash basin with you.

The 'IO' bathroom collection from Flaminia skilfully combines geometrical lines with minimalistically curved forms. The collection consists of wash stands in three sizes, two impressively large bath tubs, and WCs and bidets which are either wall or floor mounted. The entire collection combines innovative elements with new ergonomic flair.The bathtubs in the IO collection can be wall-mounted or free-standing. Both wash basin and bathtub (193 cm in length) are available with matching surrounding framework in pietraluce or lacquered wood.

If you close your eyes when you take a bath in the new semi-fitted 'Bahia' bath tub by Mastella you could easily imagine yourself bathing in the warm waters of the South Seas.
Oriano Favaretto designed the bath tub from Cristalplant®, a non-porous material which is hygienic and robust and has a velvety surface which is pleasant to the touch.
Also inspired by nature is the 'Sasso Nero' wash basin designed by Christian Piccolo. The dark surface and organic form are reminiscent of a pebble on a river bed. Here too, the innovative material Cristalplant provides a matt gloss.

Ritmonio presented 'Aquapassion', a new range of bathroom fittings designed by Peter Jamieson. The design reflects the functionality of a top quality product and combines clean lines with an exclusive appearance.

CEA stands for CENTRO ENERGIE ALTERNATIVE (Center for Alternative Energy) and devotes itself to the development of innovative new technology in the fields of domestic engineering and sanitary fittings.
Its designs combine revolutionary elements with a functional aesthetic. For example a flexible hose made of hygienic silicone combines the 'ASTA' mixer tap with the outlet pipe – both are finished in matt or polished steel. The silicone hose is available in white, turquoise, cobalt blue and anthracite grey.
'Bold' is a showerhead which makes it possible to regulate water pressure. Depending on the setting the water can flow through the adjustable opening with up to 14 litres per minute or a pressure of three bar. The showerhead matches all other CEA collections.

Axor has been able to recruit Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Antonio Citterio and Phillipp Starck for its new collections. Whereas the Bouroullecs focused on new bathroom concepts Citterio and Starck concentrated on new formal interpretations. With their various styles all the collections possess a distinctive quality of their own, ensuring that Axor can be applied in a range of ways.

Axor Citterio M has been unmistakably designed by the precise hand of Italian designer and architect Antonio Citterio: the design language is highly sophisticated and well-thought out right down to the finest of details, and harmoniously links soft curves with flat surfaces.
Phillipe Starck focused on minimalism and modularity – the Axor Starck ShowerCollection has taken these two principles into the bathroom. The concept: a simple system of showers, mixers and accessories turns the shower area into a personally-designed spa.

In 'BEJ' Lineabeta presented an innovative and flexible cupboard and container system which provides lots of storage space in an efficient way. The bathroom units are available in classical white laminated wood or with coloured elements in orange, red, pink grey, which match the Lineabeta bathroom fixtures and fittings.

Falper, too, uses a skilful combination of wash basin and bathroom cupboard unit combined with well thought-out interior compartments, to create more space in the bathroom in a stylish manner with its 'College' range. Combined with the 'Vascamisure' bathtub the recamière is the furnishing item par excellence for the bathroom as a living area.

Mosaico+ exhibited three-dimensional glass mosaics with avant-garde textures which fascinate by refracting the light and providing visual depth.
The 'Pulsar' and 'Nova' collections were created in cooperation with Giugiario Design. Both mosaics enable the display of made-to-measure patterns or images by the skilful arrangement of mosaic stones in different colours.

Together with the Japanese designer Teruo Yasuda INAX has developed 'DentCube', a ceramic material with three coatings, giving it a fascinating surface finish. The square indentations on the three-dimensional surface can be filled with a diverse range of materials such as sintered glass, for example, or moss.

With this selection of products Architonic is of course unable to provide you with a comprehensive picture of the wealth of products which were on show at Cersaie. However, we have done our best to present to you a diverse selection of innovative products from a 'professional' point of view. And if you would like more Cersaie simply follow the links below to the Cersaie Preview and the Facebook photo galleries.