Philippe Starck – l’enfant terrible du design

When Philippe Starck and Duravit carried out their first joint project in 1994, it was love at first sight, but neither realised how successful this cooperation would be. The breakthrough came with the famous "Starck barrel", which to this day is one of Duravit’s best sellers. "I always said that the bathroom has to become a wet living room. But no one understood me. Apart from Duravit. That's why I love Duravit!"

Philippe Starck

Philippe-Patrick Starck was born in Paris on the 18th January 1949, the son of aircraft designer André Starck and his wife Jacqueline. Starck spent his childhood under his father’s drawing board, where he would spend hours sawing, cutting, glueing and sanding. From his father, Philippe inherited his inventive nature, and from his mother his poetic view of the world and his elegant life style. It was she who advised him to study design at the École Nissim de Camondo in Paris. Starck took his first steps as a designer using inflatable objects before he became known for the furnishing of the private quarters in the Élysée Palace of French President François Mitterand. Shortly afterwards, his interior design of the Café Costes in Paris made him an international star. Today he creates "intelligent" objects with a commitment to humanity: Television (Thomson), luggage (Samsonite), kettles, knives, vases, watches, scooters, motorbikes (Aprilia), prams (Maclaren), computer mice (Microsoft), even ships and houses - all in all objects for all aspects of life.

Interview

How did you develop your first ideas for Duravit designs?

In my work for Duravit I have used predominantly iconic shapes. Many people said they were archaic, but they are not. Archaic means to be bonded to the past, while icons, on the other hand, are timeless. I step into the background and attempt to place all the symbols in a wider context. All the symbols bear the stamp of time and history and so gain a meaning which can be understood in different cultures across the world. On the one hand, we want the highest quality, reasonable prices and mass production, while on the other we want unique items for ourselves. That is human nature. So it is all the more important that the sustainability of top-quality products should never be in doubt. Sustainability is fundamental. Because you’re not going to exchange your washbasin every three months, it’s part of the house and can last for generations.

What role does the bathroom play for you in your own house?

The bathroom for me is an extended living room. On the one hand it refreshes and revitalises, on the other it is a peaceful place to relax. We like to spend time here. For example, a bathtub has three functions in my eyes: Visually it is a sculpture which acts as an eye-catcher, intuitively it is a sofa on which we can sit down, and functionally it is a tub in which you wash yourself.

How much design does a bathroom series require these days?

Design is going through an important phase. Today it is integrated into society – almost something normal. Apart from the design, it is simply a matter of the honesty and utility of a product. The first thing is to seek out absolutely honest partners and dependable industrial concerns such as Duravit. Then you design a product which is really useful. Design will never save lives, but it can make life easier. We create design objects for a genuine utility.

What advantages do your design objects have?

I asked myself: What do we really need? As anything which we do not really need is pointless. And everything which is pointless is a danger to our society, and sooner or later it will be outdated. In the ME by Starck range, for example, it is mainly a question of our real needs, of you and me. Without a defined style, without any influence from trends, with no promotional effect. It is simply a matter of what we really need. With the product development team at Duravit, we kept the focus on real ergonomics, real movements. The point is how the water can best flow, how one soils as little as possible, and how one can most easily clean.

Why do you work with such a company like Duravit?

My credo is, "If you are fortunate enough to have a good idea, then you have the duty to share it". It’s easy to design a beautiful object, but if nobody buys it, it’s of no interest. That’s why it’s worthwhile working with a partner like Duravit. We’ve already been doing so for almost 30 years; indeed, you could say we are joint authors of a unique story.

All series by Philippe Starck

Bento Starck Box

Arranged like a Japanese lunchbox: with the Duravit Bento Starck Box bathroom series, Duravit and designer Philippe Starck are making an extraordinary design statement to meet the most exacting architectural demands. Inspiration is drawn from the traditional Japanese bento boxes that are subdivided into several internal compartments by separators. “The Bento Starck Box collection is the start of an elegant serenity,” said Starck, describing the washbasins and bathtubs of the series. With intelligently divided wet and dry areas, the clean, clearly structured washing areas and bathtubs open up countless options for personal design.

Bathroom with sea view and Soleil bathtub

Soleil by Starck

Just like that carefree and relaxed feeling you get from a short break by the sea: Duravit’s new Soleil by Starck bathroom series creates a natural and comforting atmosphere with its subtle and elegant lines. The compact product range, which includes washbasins, toilets, and bathtubs, provides a new option in bathroom design that is suffused with natural softness. Elegant and timelessly modern, the design of Soleil by Starck is a flexible fit with a wide range of furnishing styles.

Tulum

Following the successful introduction of “White Tulip”, Tulum represents Philippe Starck’s second faucet series for Duravit. Tulum stands for iconic and timeless design. For Philippe Starck, timelessness means the longevity of objects which is today one of the most important parameters: on a material, cultural and emotional level. He implements this idea in the design of Tulum through a successful symbiosis of minimalism and elegance. The harmonious combination of round and angular forms brings timeless elegance to the collection. The faucets are highly adaptable, and slot perfectly into a varied range of bathroom interiors and harmonize with many different ceramic series.

SensoWash® Starck f

The SensoWash® Starck f shower toilet offers maximum shower toilet comfort with comprehensive functions in a minimalist design by Philippe Starck. All the technology is concealed within the ceramic body. The toilet and toilet seat thus form a seamless, harmonious unit. All functions can be controlled not only by remote control, but also via app.

Starck T

The Starck T accessories line, available in chrome and matte black, combines organic shapes with functional consistency. Thanks to the concealed fixing system, nothing disturbs the premium look. The timeless series suits any modern bathroom design.

ME by Starck

The versatile combinable classic by Philippe Starck leaves enough freedom to implement individual ideas. ME by Starck appeals to every style. Whether pure, elegant, natural or completely non-conformist - the washbasins, WCs, bidets and urinals turn every bathroom into an individual place of well-being.

Barrier-free bathroom with height toilet

Starck 1

Starck 2

Starck 3

Cape Cod

ME by Starck

SensoWash® Starck f

Starck T

White Tulip

Soleil by Starck

Tulum

Bento Starck Box

Awards

1995
Red Dot Award – Starck 1
Design Plus – Starck 1
Good Design Award – Starck 1
Design Preis (Switzerland) – Starck 1
Industrie Forum Design – Starck 1
Batimat – Starck 1

1998
Red Dot Award - Starck 1
iF Product Design – Starck 1
Good Design Award – Starck 1

1999
Red Dot Award – Starck 1
Red Dot Award – Starck 2
Design Plus – Starck 1

2002
Red Dot Award – Starck

2003
Red Dot Award – Starck 3
Design Plus – Starck 3

2004
Dood Design – Starck 3

2005
Red Dot Award – Starck X
Focus Open – Starck X

2009
Good Design Award – Starck K

2011
iF Product Design – SensoWash Starck 3
Interior Innovation Award – Starck K

2012
Red Dot Award – St. Trop

2013
iF Product Design – St. Trop
Iconic Award – SensoWash i
German Design Award – Starck K
iF Product Design – Starck Bathtub

2014
Red Dot Award – SensoWash® i
iF Product Design – SensoWash® i

2015
German Design Award – SensoWash® i
Iconic Award – ME by Starck
Red Dot Award – Cape Cod
Iconic Award (Winner) – Cape Cod

2016
Red Dot Award – ME by Starck
iF Product Design – ME by Starck
Home Style Award – SensoWash® i
iF Product Design – Cape Cod
German Design Award – Cape Cod

2019
Iconic Award – SensoWash® Starck f
Iconic Award – Starck T
German Design Award – SensoWash® Starck f
German Design Award – Starck T

2020
Red Dot Award – SensoWash® Starck f
Red Dot Award – Starck T
iF Product Design – SensoWash® Starck f
iF Product Design – Starck T

2021
German Design Award – White Tulip
German Design Award – White Tulip Faucets

2022
Red Dot Award – White Tulip
Red Dot Award – White Tulip Faucets
iF Product Design – White Tulip
METROPOLIS NYCxDESIGN - White Tulip

2023
German Design Award Winner – Tulum