Winner of Axor’s Competition Marking UAE’s 50th Anniversary Year Announced
A design competition by luxury faucet, showers and accessories brand, AXOR to mark the UAE’s 50th anniversary has been won by Senior Interior Designer, Stephanie Brown of Dubai based RSP Architects, Planners & Engineers Ltd.
The “UAE Edition” competition invited architects and designers from the region to create a design for AXOR’s MyEdition collection of faucet plates, expressing the rich heritage and culture of the UAE nation.
The winning design, “The Sands of the Seven Emirates” was inspired by the varying hues and compositions of the sands and desert landscapes unique to each emirate, with a different colour hue and material representing each emirate. The solidity and motion of shifting sands alongside their ever-changings patterns and the ancient winds which have carried the sands across the neighbouring landscapes for centuries was represented by a generic undulating pattern, common to each emirate’s design, with a texture designed to emulate shimmering sands, thereby unifying the UAE landscape.
The judges, including AXOR’s Global Brand Ambassador, Michael Kiolbassa, Senior Architect for Architecture and Design, Stefan Hoske, and Commercial Interior Design magazine’s Editor Jane O’Niell, recognised the uniqueness of Stephanie’s submission, and how it had encapsulated the defining characteristics of the desert landscape, while also cleverly commemorating the golden jubilee of the UAE through the use of a champagne gold finish. They also considered how, through the provision of varying finishes representing each of the seven emirates, it was in keeping with the main concept underpinning AXOR’s MyEdition Collection, that of personalization. The Collection offers an unprecedented plethora of finish and material options, allowing the owner to create a wealth of possible combinations resulting in a highly unique bathroom product.
As the winner, Stephanie Brown will now see her “Sands of the Seven Emirates” design lasered on to 50 AXOR MyEdition plates and AXOR MyEdition dummy products for distribution to VIPs across the UAE. She will also experience a VIP factory trip to Germany in 2022, and will receive the AXOR ShowerSolutions Hand shower 120 3jet. Her winning design and her story telling of the inspiration behind its creation, will also feature in the January edition of Commercial Interior Design magazine.
The UAE Edition competition also recognized two runners-up – Emma Stinson of Studio EM, and Sevan Manjikian of Black Dot Interiors who were both praised for their creative and original submissions. Emma’s design featured a striking monochrome element, representing the UAE’s oil and pearl trades, while paying homage to traditional dress, while Sevan’s “Wings of Tomorrow”, marked the nation’s past, present and future through the use of symbolism and corresponding materials; the past represented by pearls, the present through gold, and the future, through the iconic falcon and the notion of endless aspiration.
Florian Tronel, marketing manager for AXOR’s parent company, Hansgrohe Group commented:
“There is a very talented pool of designers in the region, and judging from the highly creative entries we received, many of them are very passionate about celebrating the UAE’s culture and unique heritage in this special Jubilee year. Stephanie’s winning design was really outstanding, and we congratulate her for her great efforts. She showed a superb understanding of the concept, demonstrating a high degree of originality and her design was in total keeping with AXOR’s hallmark for combining innovation with outstanding aesthetics.”
Stephanie Brown commented:
“I am absolutely delighted to have my Sands of the Seven Emirates design recognized by AXOR, a prestigious global brand that is renowned for continually setting the trend in contemporary sanitaryware. To have my interpretation printed and shared with respected individuals across the region is especially exciting, as it serves as a beautiful momentum of this very special occasion for the UAE. I am looking forward to seeing my design come alive now and am very excited at the thought of it paying a lasting homage to the UAE’s unique and defining landscape.”
About AXOR AXOR conceives and manufactures iconic objects for luxurious bathrooms and kitchens. Developed in collaboration with world-renowned designers — Philippe Starck, Antonio Citterio, Jean-Marie Massaud and Barber Osgerby among them — AXOR products come in a variety of styles. All AXOR faucets, showers and accessories are produced to the highest standards of quality. With an expertise that extends far beyond the products themselves, AXOR inspires and enables architects, interior designers and the design-savvy public. Together with AXOR, they shape water-related spaces that reflect the unique personality of the user. Part of the Hansgrohe Group, AXOR is a forward-thinking brand dedicated to developing distinctive products, manufactured with excellence.