Aurena is the new Duravit bathroom series designed by Antonio Citterio and inspired by the golden section, the formula for aesthetic harmony in architecture. The result is a collection that proposes timeless elegance, combining a clear silhouette with fine materials, offering precise details and functional design innovations. The starting point of the design process was the perfectly proportioned washbasin area, which features a console made entirely of ceramic and separated from the wet area.
The architect opted for compact dimensions of the washbasin in favour of a large shelf area with integrated shelves and partitions with slim and precise contours to keep all the bathroom accessories tidy. The collection is also offered in a closed version with an under washbasin base unit with two drawers that can be installed wall-hung or resting on a metal frame with slender legs surrounding the body. It is in these details that the craftsmanship is particularly elegant: thanks to the bevelled edges, the front, set into the frame, is extraordinarily precise.
Furthermore, Aurena is the first complete ceramic series to be launched with the new HygieneGlaze® Plus surface, which ensures easy and environmentally friendly cleaning. The great versatility of the collection makes it suitable for any environment, for use in residential contexts even for small guest bathrooms, in the hotel sector or in offices and restaurants. Aurena represents a solution that the market needed, thanks to the experience and skilful design of Antonio Citterio, who described the genesis of the collection and his personal approach to bathroom design.
What requirements does Aurena fulfil for the modern bathroom?
Antonio Citterio: With the Aurena series I try to give very simple answers to realities. In the washbasin area, we need elements for hanging towels, large support surfaces, storage elements – and they should all fit together perfectly. Aurena offers bathroom solutions that focus not only on aesthetics. We know that we need different elements for different environments, for example situations with double washbasins. These are real things that are related to a real question, which is not just pure aesthetics.
What was your approach to the Aurena bathroom series?
A.C.: We based it on fundamental considerations: the idea of space solution, the idea of order in the bathroom and the idea of sensitivity to water, which is why, for example, we reduced the size of the washbasins. These are the most important starting points. When we talk about bathroom furniture, we mean objects that are not only functional, but can be something more. Hotel bathrooms, for example, need large surfaces and situations that maintain order. Every piece of furniture must have space for towels, cosmetics, hairdryers and toothbrushes… We wanted to transfer this experience from the hotel world to the private bathroom and implement it in an aesthetic way. This was the theme.
To what extent has the Golden Ratio served as inspiration for Aurena’s design?
A.C.: The golden section is about proportions; there is a kind of aesthetic perception in it that creates balance in the division of an area. The thin integrated dividers, which divide the area into sections of different sizes according to the rules of the golden section, are an important part of the design. The aesthetic level we achieve is important. Because the bathroom has become a personal space that conveys satisfaction. It is no longer just a question of functionality.
How do you combine architecture and design in your projects?
A.C.: I approach design as a component of the architectural project. An architect knows what the problems are in projects and tries to provide an answer. I think it is also in general the great Italian and especially Milanese tradition, which is made up of architects who do design and not vice versa. If one only does design, one immediately thinks of a highly iconic object, whether functional or non-functional. As an architect, on the other hand, you actually look at the problem and the best way to solve it. It is no coincidence that for Aurena we started from the search for ‘solutions’, for solutions of space, and not from the iconic object.
What meaning does the bathroom have for you personally?
A.C.: Compared to the past, when the bathroom only had a practical purpose and was purely functional, perhaps for a large family, today it has become a more personal space and, not least, a space to be lived in. In my bathroom I have armchairs and books, I watch the news and listen to music. It is the place where I can retreat, be myself and start and end the day as harmoniously as possible. It works particularly well for me since my wife and I have separate bathrooms, which is quite common in the US, where she grew up.
