The new launches from The Bathroom Experience at ISH digital 2021

For the ISH digital 2021, the Pop up my Bathroom trend platform staged an exhibition featuring lots of important new products for the on-trend bathroom – and also presented it in the form of a digital 360-degree tour.

In 2021, the pandemic meant that the two-yearly ISH, the world’s leading trade fair for water, heating and air-conditioning, took place almost entirely in the digital space. With one exception: the Pop up my Bathroom event format established by Messe Frankfurt and the German Sanitary Industry Association (Vereinigung Deutsche Sanitärwirtschaft e.V. [VDS]) presented three of the most important current trends in bathroom planning in the form of a real physical showcase. And even though nobody came to visit the event that has been so popular in previous ISH years, it was nevertheless seen by many: as a digital 360-degree exhibition with three trend installations that integrated more than 80 bathroom products from 12 participating ISH exhibitors, the Inside | Outside showcase depicts the most important trend developments in the bathroom. As a result, it became a genuine highlight of the trade fair and succeeded in communicating analogue content through digital means. One major advantage of this hybrid format is that its impact extends beyond the location and duration of the event.

The trend showcase motto: Inside | Outside

The importance of holistic bathroom planning is growing – for all market participants in the bathroom sector. Whereas the bathroom “in front of the wall” is becoming increasingly cosy and gradually evolving into a lifestyle space, increasingly complex technology is required “behind the wall” in order to install the bathroom products. That’s why the makers of the exhibition are drawing attention to the synchronisation of design and technology with the trend showcase motto: Inside | Outside. The framework for the three trend installations, entitled Living Bathroom, Smart Bathroom and Green Bathroom, is provided by prefabricated prewall elements (Geberit). The self-supporting technology panels determine the architecture of the exhibition in the form of simple isometries. At the same time, the unfinished look of the trend showcase provides impressive insights into a bathroom’s inner workings. Transparent walls merge with elements of the interior design.

“With this year’s Pop up my Bathroom trend showcase for the ISH digital 2021, we particularly want to provide added value for architects and tradespeople – the products in front of the wall will increasingly merge with the products behind the wall. This integrative approach to holistic bathroom planning will revolutionise the way new bathrooms are implemented in the next few years. Building owners will benefit from more creativity and greater flexibility. And we anticipate that prefabrication will result in a significant time saving for architects and tradespeople,” says Jens J. Wischmann, managing director of the German Bathroom Sector Association (Vereinigung Deutsche Sanitärwirtschaft e.V. [VDS]), in explanation of the focus of this year’s Pop up my Bathroom trend platform.

The video clips recorded in the exhibition, in which Jens J. Wischmann guides viewers through the installations and explains the trends, were part of ISH digital 2021 and are also available via the Pop up my Bathroom YouTube channel. Anyone especially interested in the new launches on show can access views and details of all the exhibits in a 360-degree tour.

Storytelling in the bathroom: the top trends Living Bathroom, Smart Bathroom and Green Bathroom

Modern bathroom planning sticks to a particular theme or need. In the three trends described by Pop up my Bathroom, the wish for a cosy bathroom that’s a pleasure to spend time in, the desire for modern equipment and furnishings with functional added value and a high degree of customisability, as well as growing expectations with regard to sustainability, all play into each other. Because whether the project involves a new build or the renovation of an existing room – today’s bathroom is a space sensation, private spa, innovation hub and the reflection of a modern interior design, all rolled into one. Pop up my Bathroom provides an up-to-the-minute overview of the three most important trends in the bathroom: the top trends Living Bathroom, Smart Bathroom and Green Bathroom feature all the design and equipment options of a modern bathroom.

The new launches from the ISH digital 2021 in the Living Bathroom

The Living Bathroom is a response to the still-growing demand for an individual, comfortable, convenient and cosy wellness retreat in one’s own four walls. Cosiness, zeitgeist, fashion and style are very much in demand as the cornerstones of a professionally planned bathroom, as are modern usage concepts that enhance the quality of the space and permit health-related activities. It’s featuring more furniture and more fabrics, is more flexible and more attractive. And all that is reflected in the new launches from the ISH digital 2021 exhibitors.

To coincide with ISH digital 2021, Geberit extended its iCon bathroom range with new washbasins, toilets, furniture and finishes. In its current update of the furniture concept, the manufacturer focused particularly on the modular architecture of the bathroom series and ensuring flexibility when it comes to selecting products. The Geberit ONE bathroom concept redefines the areas in front of and behind the wall as a single unit. The fully integrated solutions for the washbasin area, shower area and toilet cleverly combine various elements to create convincing results on both sides of the wall. Because bathrooms don’t just consist of visible zones like the washbasin area, shower or toilet – the concealed elements play an equally important role. The products deliver a multitude of obvious and hidden benefits that are perfectly coordinated with one another and thus aim to provide optimal solutions for users’ needs. Geberit ONE takes full advantage of the benefits of prewall installation and is based on the Geberit Duofix and GIS installation systems (used in the exhibition). The bathroom concept puts anything that isn’t absolutely necessary in front of the wall out of sight, behind the wall. Unattractive traps, mountings and fixings are hidden away from view. The bathroom looks neater, cleaner and even provides more space, as well as opening up a wide range of possibilities for the interior design.

The design of the Max real wood collection from burgbad plays with basic geometric forms and underscores the combination of modernity, tradition and craftsmanship. The simple design, natural materials, tradition-conscious design language and sustainable collection architecture add up to a thoroughly cosy ambience, making the new design line a perfect fit with the Living Bathroom. Its distinguishing features are the in-frame fronts with their slender profiles and the Viennese cane that can be integrated with the doors and fronts available for the vanity cabinet, wall-mounted cabinet, dresser and storage bench. The corner posts and drawers are made of solid wood, the sides, shelves, top panels and front insets of veneered panels.

Following its interactive control element for the shower (2015) and the corresponding hand shower (2017), AXOR presented additional washbasin, bath and shower products for its AXOR One bathroom collection at the ISH digital 2021 (design: Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby). The mixer uses the advanced Select technology to define a new mode of interaction: the all-in-one controller is pushed down to turn the water on or off and turned clockwise to increase the temperature. The fittings are available in chrome, matt black (featured in the Pop up my Bathroom exhibition in combination with the Max vanity unit from burgbad) and other exclusive options from the AXOR FinishPlus range. The shower zone of the Living Bathroom was enhanced by the new hansgrohe overhead shower Pulsify in trendy black. Equipped with the microfine PowderRain spray pattern, the Pulsify showerheads release a gentle downpour that aims to provide immediate relaxation after a stressful day as the user stands beneath the 260mm overhead shower of the Pulsify Showerpipe with adjustable angle.

With Cayonoplan Multispace, a floor-level shower surface with integrated manoeuvring space from Kaldewei, even a small bathroom can be turned into a barrier-free zone that combines accessibility with stylish design. The shower is available in 12 shades from the Coordinated Colours Collection and comes with the anti-slip Secure Plus finish as standard.

The freestanding bath is to the Living Bathroom what the It bag is to an outfit: a genuine eye-catcher. In the Pop up my Bathroom showcase, this leading role is played by the BettePond Silhouette tub from Bette. The circular bath aims to provide the ideal place for kicking back and slowing down and create an oasis of tranquillity in the bathroom. Its exceptional diameter of 1,500mm is made possible by the high stability of glazed titanium steel. The freestanding tub with a rim height of 575mm is designed so that the inner and outer forms merge into a seamless whole. A slender freestanding bath filler from Dornbracht’s MEM series pairs perfectly with the tub and adds the stylish finishing touch.

With its all-electric design radiator Rubeo-E, Kermi doesn’t just bring physical warmth to the Living Bathroom, it helps create a warm and cosy atmosphere as well. It is supplied complete with electronically controlled heating rod, heat transfer fluid and controller and is simply plugged into a power socket. As a result, Rubeo-E can provide a time- and cost-saving solution for modernisation projects, especially in older buildings. And the electric radiator is also a great way to use home-produced solar power in energy self-sufficient new builds with a photovoltaic system.

FlowFit is a new supply pipe system from Geberit intended for universal use. The forward-looking system aims to meet the three main needs of fitters and planners: reliability, hygiene and efficiency. The innovative fittings and pipe components with protective caps are intended to benefit fitters by permitting simple, time-efficient and dependable installation of the multilayer composite pipe system. The fully functional back wall with detailed insights into the construction of a Living Bathroom with new Geberit ONE products is a highlight of the Pop up my Bathroom showcase.

Innovative technology optimises procedures and routines: Smart Bathroom

Rather than showing the bathroom of a distant tomorrow, Pop up my Bathroom portrays the Smart Bathroom equipped with the technical possibilities of our time. The combination of products that are already on the market results in an exemplary Smart Bathroom: a mirror that doubles as an information centre, smart controls for water applications in the shower, app-controlled shower toilets, UV-based hygiene functions, intelligent lighting control via Alexa and co, and touchless technologies – all these features will become increasingly common.

Far from being a vision for the future, the RainTunes digital shower system from hansgrohe is already reality: a combination of water, light, sound, images and fragrance to reflect the user’s individual mood and provide a shower experience to match. With RainTunes, users can choose from a total of seven preconfigured shower scenarios such as “Good Morning”, “Relaxation” or “Vitality” via the hansgrohe home app. They were developed with the support of experts from various disciplines, including dermatologists, sports physicians, physiotherapists and aromatherapists. A tap on the app transmits the selected scenario to the shower via the wifi network, where it’s activated via a play button. Individually positionable buttons are used to adjust spray modes, water flow and temperature, as well as to start and stop the shower experience. Because they’re connected with a central unit behind the wall via Bluetooth, the RainButtons can be used separately from the permanently installed fitting – a first!

The four walk-in shower enclosure variants from Kermi’s White Line collection provide the perfect setting for the shower scenarios. With their clean White Soft look, sandblasted decors and easy-clean KermiCLEAN coating, the walk-in showers bring a feel-good atmosphere to any modern bathroom.

The shower toilets that are increasingly becoming an inherent feature of the Smart Bathroom can also be controlled via apps. Geberit has revised its AquaClean Sela shower toilet and equipped it with new, luxury functions. In addition to the familiar shower function for gentle intimate hygiene, the shower toilet now also features a rimless bowl with TurboFlush technology for thorough but quiet flushing.

TOTO is introducing its new Prime Edition with the elegant and timeless WASHLET RW. It combines all the manufacturer’s tried-and-trusted hygiene functions in one product – including EWATER+, Premist, Tornado Flush and CeFiONtect. Among other things, users can adjust the position, strength and temperature of the water jet. Up to two users can save their individual settings via the memory function.

Music, voices or gentle sounds can help the listener relax and enjoy feel-good moments. Which is why Kaldewei decided to merge the world of the bathroom with the world of sound and create the ultimate combination of relaxing spa moments and a unique sound experience – above and below the water. Kaldewei’s acoustic innovation goes by the name of Sound Wave and turns the steel enamel bathtub into a soundbox. The bath audio system is compatible with all Kaldewei’s tub models and is installed together with the bathtub.

Bathroom furniture is also becoming increasingly smart and serves as the starting point for many applications. Lighting plays a particularly important role in this context. Villeroy & Boch, for instance, presented the illuminated mirror cabinets of the current More to See Lite and My View Now series at the ISH digital 2021: light sources that provide the perfect lighting to suit the time of day and individual needs. The mirror cabinets are equipped with top-quality LED systems that are continuously dimmable and allow the colour of the light to be adjusted as required. What’s more, they can be integrated into most popular smart home systems via the Zigbee® home automation kit, allowing the illuminated mirror, mirror cabinet and illuminated furniture to be controlled via an app or voice commands. Then special programmes can be used to link various devices and functions or create time settings, for instance so that the brightness in the bathroom is synched with the time of day.

Burgbad is also setting a new benchmark in the category of smart lighting via the mirror and mirror cabinet and is presenting two new versions of its rl40 range for the ISH digital 2021. The innovative models combine indirect ceiling light, optional washbasin lighting and glare-free LED side panels, adjusted via intuitive and sensitive touch controls (rl40 Light) and smart touchless controls (rl40 VC). The evolution of the predecessor model, which was launched in 2017, not only makes rl40 easier to use, it also means the VC version can be integrated into smart home systems (connected via Zigbee Bridge) and controlled and enhanced via a smartphone/app, voice assistants like SIRI, ALEXA etc. or Zigbee-compatible switches (e.g. Philips Hue). Via the uplight, rl40 provides a complete indirect ambient lighting solution for small to medium-sized bathrooms and individually programmable and accessible lighting scenarios that ensure perfectly adjusted, individual light at any time of day.

In the Smart Bathroom, water is also increasingly being activated and adjusted via touchless controls. Flush plates respond to the wave of a hand, and in private bathrooms too fittings equipped with touchless technology are becoming more commonplace. Besides saving water, fittings like Kludi’s electronic E-GO also deliver an added value by improving hygiene. The Pontos Scout from hansgrohe provides an additional safeguard. With a diameter of only about eight centimetres, it disappears discreetly under cupboards, on shelves or on the floor next to the washing machine. The water sensor is simply placed where needed without requiring complex assembly or installation. Once activated via the hansgrohe home app or the Home Connect Plus app, Pontos Scout becomes a water watchdog that monitors the relevant places around the home. If it detects escaping water, it emits a light signal and sends a push notification to the user’s smartphone, thereby preventing potentially severe water damage by sounding the alarm in good time. The Pontos Scout also provides information about the humidity level and temperature in the room and alerts the user to frost.

Resource conservation and the feeling of being close to nature: Green Bathroom

The Green Bathroom is an evergreen that’s playing an increasingly important role for the bathroom sector. But the way to a sustainable bathroom isn’t only paved with highly complex technical products and state-of-the-art technologies; products made of natural and/or recyclable materials that can be used for many years to come also play a vital role. The Green Bathroom is a future concept that strives for the optimal combination of smart, water-saving and energy-saving products, eco-friendly industrial production, sustainable materials and enduring design – while simultaneously conveying a sense of being in touch with nature.

Being conscious of how we use resources is part of a sustainable lifestyle. In the bathroom, that applies not just to electricity and heating but above all to water. All the toilets in the D-Neo range – a new complete series from Duravit – are for instance equipped with the Duravit Rimless® technology and available with an optional antibacterial ceramic glaze called HygieneGlaze. According to the manufacturer, they achieve perfect flushing results with just 4.5 litres of water. A matching D-Neo bidet is also available.

The new TwistFlush toilet flush that Villeroy & Boch presented at the ISH digital 2021 was a highlight of the trade fair. It aims to deliver an optimal result while using considerably less water. According to the Mettlach-based ceramics manufacturer, the patent-pending TwistFlush technology uses the physical force of a controlled vortex to rinse virtually the entire inner surface of the toilet and wash any soiling away with it. The toilet uses just 4.5 litres of water for a large flush and 3 litres for a small one. Thanks to the powerful flow, a single flush is generally all that’s needed. Based on average use, a family of four can save up to 19,700 litres a year (as compared to a conventional 6-litre flush). The controlled vortex also prevents splashing and the formation of aerosols, while the rimless shape of the toilet is quick and easy to clean. In addition, CeramicPlus and AntiBac ensure a 99.9% reduction in the growth of bacteria.

But there’s a lot going on in the furniture category when it comes to protecting the environment too. Take Eqio, for example: the versatile furniture range from burgbad brings a hip or retro, classic or modern look to bathrooms big and small – and gives a broad target group peace of mind with regard to sustainability. The collection from burgbad’s sys10 Quick Ship range features vanity solutions with ceramic, mineral cast and glass basins, mix-and-match cabinets, functional mirror cabinets, clever shelves and innovative lighting solutions. In addition to an attractive value-for-money performance, numerous extras and fast delivery, retailers and end customers can now count on Eqio’s eco-friendliness too: late last year, the series was awarded the Blue Angel, Germany’s oldest ecolabel. Thanks to the strict test criteria associated with the Blue Angel, the label is highly trusted by consumers and certifies that the collection is made of low-emission materials, has no adverse impact on health in the living environment and that the wood used for its production is sourced from sustainably managed forests.

Pop up my Bathroom is an unconventional and award-winning communication campaign by the German Bathroom Sector Association (Vereinigung Deutsche Sanitärwirtschaft e.V. [VDS]) and Messe Frankfurt. The campaign’s core task is to inform ambitious bathroom planners and architects about the latest developments and trends surrounding the ISH – the two-yearly world-leading trade fair for water, heating and air-conditioning. In recent years, the campaign has evolved into a creative platform for the entire bathroom sector thanks to the launch of several formats. The trend showcase for the ISH digital 2021 is still accessible: a 360-degree tour enables viewers to walk through the exhibition online. Additional trend tours hosted by Jens J. Wischmann, managing director of the German Bathroom Sector Association (Vereinigung Deutsche Sanitärwirtschaft e.V. [VDS]), can be accessed via the Pop up my Bathroom YouTube channel.

Making-of: the only physical booth at a digital trade fair

When it came to implementing the Pop up my Bathroom trend showcase for the ISH digital 2021, the challenge lay in activating the construction crew and the necessary infrastructure at Messe Frankfurt. Furlough schemes, lockdown, hygiene regulations and an extremely short timeframe of just 6 weeks meant that creative and budget-related decisions had to be made at short notice. On top of that, the mission to integrate as many trade fair launches from the ISH digital 2021 exhibitors as possible wasn’t just a vote of confidence for creative director and curator Frank A. Reinhardt (FAR.consulting), it was a logistical problem as well. That was why the German Bathroom Sector Association (Vereinigung Deutsche Sanitärwirtschaft e.V. [VDS]) involved its partners’ fair construction departments in the creative process. The challenge was taken up with a great deal of enthusiasm, with the result that the exhibition was ready on schedule. In addition, the manufacturer-independent team that took shape during the implementation process pulled together and coordinated with one another despite usually being competitors [T1] – a unique effect that many experienced booth builders will remember as a special experience and stark contrast to the usual stress during a large-scale ISH setup. Up to 40 tradespeople, fitters, lighting planners and interior designers were involved – all while ensuring strict compliance with Messe Frankfurt’s corona precautions.

The GIS system (main sponsor: Geberit) provides the basic structure of the booths. Normally used as a system for bathroom renovations, in this case the product was “repurposed” as an exhibition system. In some cases the walls were closed using cement boards (Knauf), made transparent with a see-through fabric (using an innovative tensioning technique developed by the fair construction company) or simply left completely open. Suitable elements from various ISH exhibitors were then planned into this open booth structure in keeping with the defined trends. The consistent styling by Alexander Schneider defined a colour concept for the individual trends. Fairconstruction, a brand of Messe Frankfurt Medien und Service GmbH, was responsible for building the exhibition. During the trade show, the showcase also served as a backdrop for numerous TV broadcasts, live tours and the one-hour Pop up my Bathroom Magazine show that was broadcast live from the neighbouring TV studio every day.

Note for editors:

The 360-degree tour can easily be integrated into online coverage by providing the following data: 

https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=aLmTVc4Cupr