Laufen’s thin-walled SaphirKeramik has set a real design trend for bathrooms. Patricia Urquiola has embraced the revolutionary material - designing the Sonar collection for Laufen. Her aim was to explore the formal and functional properties as well as the material’s decorative aspects, and turn them into an elegant, innovative collection.

Expressive yet minimalist, Sonar’s formal language plays with arcs and angles, emphasising the slender lines of SaphirKeramik. To emphasise the lightness of the objects even more, Urquiola and Laufen developed a fine, three-dimensional texture for the washbasin bowls’ external surfaces. The textured version can be selected as an optional alternative to the traditional smooth surface and is reminiscent of sound waves propagating in water.

Patricia Urquiola: “As a metaphor, the name Sonar is linked to water: in this form of echolocation, acoustic pulses are emitted to identify items under water. I liked the idea of using the little waves generated by sound. The texture on the outside of the washbasin bowls was modelled on these waves. I not only wanted to work with the lightness of the ceramics, I also wanted to find a way to design its surface.”

The combination of purity and formal simplicity with the energy and dynamism of a natural phenomenon gives Sonar a bold, unique look in the bathroom. The strict geometry also optimises the flow of water: The sloped surface of the basin base gently guides the water to a transversal recess. From there, it flows out through a conventional drain outlet, elegantly hidden from view by a ceramic cover. The cover can be removed quickly and easily for cleaning.

The Sonar collection includes floor-standing and wall-mounted washbasins, two washbasin bowls and a double washbasin bowl, all made of SaphirKeramik. All washbasin bowls can be ordered with textured or smooth surfaces; the washbasins are only available with smooth surfaces. A bathtub in the characteristic collection design completes the ensemble. It has an integrated storage tray and is made of Laufen’s high-tech Sentec material.