Schiltach, February 2022. As guests pass through the Neo-Baroque façade of Villa Copenhagen, they enter a world of conscious, contemporary luxury with an ambiance all its own. Housed in the former Danish Post and Telegraph office, which dates to 1912, the 390-room hotel signals a ‘new social scene’ for the Danish capital, offering conscious, approachable luxury complemented by intuitive and personalized service. Incorporating the UN Sustainable Development Goals into its overall strategy, the hotel takes full responsibility for its impact on the planet, which is one reason why long-lasting, water-conserving AXOR products were chosen for the bathrooms. Another reason, surely, is aesthetics.
Villa Copenhagen was designed by London-based practice Universal Design Studio. The rooms are designed to offer a moment of escape and slowing down, a connection to the beauty of Copenhagen. Hand-crafted Zellige tiles, an internal window of textured glass, and custom marble vanity units feature alongside AXOR fittings, finished in Chrome and Brushed Black Chrome, an exclusive AXOR FinishPlus surface: “We used the Montreux collection because we were looking for a product that had a heritage feeling, but was still contemporary, especially using the black chrome finish,” says Richard McConkey, Interior Architect, Universal Design Studio.
AXOR x Shamballa Jewels
The presence of bespoke AXOR Montreux basin and bathtub faucets in the hotel’s eight Shamballa suites deserves special mention. The suites, designed by Danish luxury brand Shamballa Jewels, convey an atmosphere of luxurious warmth, laid-back tranquility, and exciting contrast. In the bathrooms, the Shamballa team worked closely with AXOR Signature, the customization service of AXOR, to create bejeweled handles—cast as double thunderbolts, the symbol of Shamballa—for the faucets. The handles are inlaid with ruby and sapphire to represent hot and cold water; they express perfectly the AXOR commitment to individualization and personal luxury. “AXOR were really open to approaching this almost unrealizable thing with both care and attentiveness. It was super helpful to have the team from Germany helping us with the technical aspects, producing prototypes, and always with quality from the start. I have extremely good memories about the whole process of working with AXOR,” Olga Krukovskaya, Architect, Shamballa Jewels, recalls.
All AXOR fixtures at Villa Copenhagen help the hotel achieve its high sustainability goals. AXOR even developed a special shower system design featuring its water-conserving EcoSmart technology. “In Scandinavia, there are, and rightly so, very tight water flow rate specifications that we needed to adhere to for the project. AXOR have been excellent in helping us meet those criteria,” Richard McConkey explains. Rather than compromising the guest experience, such resource-saving measures actually enhance it. Indeed, that’s what conscious luxury is all about. Joyful, inclusive, and sustainable, Villa Copenhagen is a perfect match for the city with which it shares a name and is not to be missed.
About AXOR
AXOR conceives and manufactures iconic objects for luxurious bathrooms and kitchens. Developed in collaboration with world-renowned designers—Philippe Starck, Antonio Citterio, Jean-Marie Massaud and Barber Osgerby among them—AXOR products come in a variety of styles. All AXOR faucets, showers and accessories are produced to the highest standards of quality. With an expertise that extends far beyond the products themselves, AXOR inspires and enables architects, interior designers and the design-savvy public. Together with AXOR, they shape water-related spaces that reflect the unique personality of the user. Part of the Hansgrohe Group, AXOR is a forward-thinking brand dedicated to developing distinctive products, manufactured with excellence.