Margraf Jean-Michel Wilmotte Collections
July 30, 2022
Margraf presents its new take on marble in the bathroom with a collection of washbasins and shower trays designed in partnership with French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte.
The new collection highlights the sophisticated qualities of exclusive Margraf Fior di Pesco Carnico marble, which can only be found in a quarry in Forni Avoltri (near Udine) and features distinctive shades that range from gray to pink and from white to ivory. Marble is the perfect choice for high-end bathrooms thanks to its sensuality and stability, and there is an enticing, almost architectural feel to the creations by Wilmotte Design Studio.
The idea behind the project is to create a collection of contemporary products by pulling apart the materials to get a degree of irregularity that highlights the contrast between the rough appearance and uneven, always varying shapes of natural stone and the precise cuts of metal, in a finely balanced blend of natural and man-made elements.
The new bathroom collection that has been designed for Margraf perfectly combines the Vicenza-based company’s unparalleled production and processing capabilities with Wilmotte’s design experience and unmistakable style. The collection contains two innovative selections of products: Gradina and Herma.
Gradina is inspired by an old sculpting tool that is used like a chisel to rough-hew marble. It has a serrated edge that levels off uneven sections and marks out the shapes of works. There are three items in the collection — a double unit with two oval basins, a single basin with a circular shape and a square shower tray with a circular inner section.
Herma is inspired by a piece of music by the renowned Greek composer, engineer and architect Iannis Xenakis who became a naturalized citizen of France. Wilmotte was behind the exhibition design for a Xenakis show that was recently opened at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris. This collection contains a double basin, a single basin and a shower tray featuring square shapes with rectangular Nero Marquinia marble inserts.
The basins in both collections are supported by black metal bases with straight lines that emphasize the minimalist exactitude and make the two double basins seem like tables, in a fresh take on well-being.
The design of the new bathroom collection showcases the manufacturing capabilities of futuristic CNC machinery and cutting-edge robots, as well as the bespoke skills of the Margraf Innovation Lab. There is an architectural appeal to the perfect geometric forms created through a slow, precise process of cutting and honing natural stone.