BlueGlobe Magazine

BULLETIN April 2011 Issue No. 68

The Project of GROHE, Istanbul

New Era in Management It’s an exciting time for GROHE as we continue to innovate and bring more value to our agents, partners and distributors across the region.

Innovation brings with it changes that are sustainable and allow us to sharpen our focus on continuous growth.

Simon Shaya is our newly appoint-

ed General Manager and President of GROHE East Mediterranean, Middle East and Africa. Simon has been with Grome for 14 years.

Franz Droege has moved on to become President of GROHE Americas based in New York, USA.

GROHE Middle East & Africa rewards customers with GOLD! On 8 November 2010 GROHE Middle East and Africa celebrated a year-end promotion with dealers across the UAE by rewarding them with GOLD! Over 150 guests celebrated the evening at the Shangri-La hotel in Dubai where over 70 prizes were drawn, from Gold coins to 500 Grams of Gold being the first prize winner.

“Buying GROHE is like buying GOLD”, said Selim Semaan, Director of Marketing, Grohe Middle East and Africa, “Both shine, both are durable and solid; neither lose value with time.”

Alex Halabi and Simon G. Shaya with 1st Prize Winner

Canan Residence is one of the most important projects in the developing district of Serifali.

Top of the line materials were preferred throughout the Canan Residence. In line with this high design specification preference, GROHE Allure and Lineare was submitted for use in the project.

For shower systems, the GROHE lines Movario and Rainshower was offered.

Live displays of product groups were prepared by arranging sample apartments with these two product groups.

PAKISTAN GROHE - A premium brand that meets the highest standards

Lineare Basin Mixer for FreeStanding Basins

CONTENTS

Product News

Kitchen faucets for leading chefs

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Leading company for lifestyle products, SARA, opens second showroom in Dubai SARA General Trading Establishment officially opened a new showroom in November 2010 on Sheikh Zayed Road featuring products of brands such Mr. Abdul Rahman Al Ghurair officially opens the doors as GROHE and for SARA Villeroy & Boch.

The showroom was inaugurated with a reception in the presence of the brands leading managers. The new 6,000 Sq. ft. showroom is located on Sheikh Zayed Road, near the third interchange, next to the new ACE Grome Board of Directors and SARA Hardware. organization

Go Green GROHE wins “Consumer Choice Awards 2010” GROHE received two ‘‘Consumers Choice Awards, 2010“ from Consumers Association of Pakistan in the following categories.

• Best Bathroom Fittings in Pakistan: GROHE • Best Design in Bathroom Fittings: GROHE Allure These awards signify the recognition of Pakistani consumers for GROHE Premium quality products and design excellence.

GROHE Sponsors Commercial Interior Design Awards

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Made in Germany

A sense of freshness with Flowers 4

LOCAL UPDATES

PRODUCT NEWS ‘Minimalistic unique with functionality’

Kitchen faucets for leading chefs

Euphoria shower system extensions

n K7 - the first GROHE kitchen line targeting high-end kitchen showrooms n Intelligently designed to enhance the interior of a modern kitchen and transform the way to prepare food and interface with water in the kitchen n Professional styling with reliable GROHE technologies n Offers modular system - a solution for every design requirement

The perfect shower for your bathtub Maximum showering comfort n Thermostatic mixer with bath spout n Euphoria 180mm head shower with GROHE StarLight® chrome spray plate n Euphoria Massage 2 spray hand shower

Eurostyle Cosmopolitan

Eurodisc Cosmopolitan ‘Sculpted Design, Precision Engineered and Competitively Priced’ Modern flat lever

The character defining chamfer on the front of the spout flows elegantly into the body of the faucet and is echoed on the lever with uniformed precision

Rounded lift rod

Reduced interface

Modern flat spout

The chamfer on the front of the spout flows elegantly into the body of the faucet

n Eurostyle Cosmopolitan was created to be modern yet approachable; the design is humanised with its simple geometry and rounded form. n The keyhole shaped lever and spout reduce

the perceived volume of the product and create a synergy between the two elements. n The cylindrical body flows into the lever and ends with a rounded tip inviting interaction.

GO GREEN GROHE, Gold Sponsors, Commercial Interior Design Awards

GROHE sponsors Environmental Project Award

Commercial Interior Design Awards paid tribute in November 2010 to the projects, interior design firms and designers making their mark on the region’s interior design industry. As befitting an industry no longer in its infancy, the awards honoured work that displays original thinking, creative breadth and a willingness to stray from tried and tested formulas. Sustainable projects were nominated. Amongst the top projects for 2010, GROHE’S very own ‘Green Mosque’ was honoured.

The Abou Hamed Al Gazali Mosque in Dubai

The Green Mosque project is an exemplary example of how collaboration between private corporations and public entities can result in high-impact sustainable practices. Grohe’s work on a local problem is small in scope but has the potential to make a significant impact in Dubai and across the Gulf. This is a project that needs to be celebrated and exposed to the larger community through the awards programme.

CID 2010 Award Recipients

Commercial Interior Design Awards Committee 2010

GROHE sponsors ‘Muscat Green Days’ Conference GROHE and the conference organizer Sesam teamed up for a successful event on Substainable Building in the Middle East. Given the success of Dubai Green, Abu Dhabi Green and Doha Green for the first time ever the conference took place in Oman. The Muscat Green Conference was held in the Grand Hyatt Muscat.

GROHE was the Silver sponsor of this conference which brought together sixteen experts from the construction, energy, environment and research sector who discussed and presented ways on how to save energy today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

According to the World Commission on Environment and Development and the Bundtland Commission, sustainable development seeks to balance human and social development, economic growth and the environmental impact.

“We are happy to have the conference in Muscat and to bring together a large number of decisionmakers from all the involved sector” said Boris Ritter, general manager of Sesam Consulting, who are organising the event together with the German University of Technology in Oman (GUTech).

Among the more than 160 delegates attending a group of 18 GUtech students of the depart-

His Excellency Shaikh Ibrahim bin Khalifa Al Khalifa with GROHE Middle East and Africa staff

GROHE and Affordable Housing in Bahrain

Toufic Halabi and Alex Halabi discuss GROHE products with delegates ment of Urban Planning and Architectural Design and their professors also were also present. The Muscat Green Days Conference were chaired by Dr. Dieter Fuchs, General Manager of Fraunhofer Middle East and president of the World Association of Applied Research.

From GROHE Mr. Toufic Halabi gave a presentation on water saving strategies.

Approximately 7,000 housing units are planned, said His Excellence Shaikh Ibrahim bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, at the Affordable Housing Development Middle East Summit in Manama, before hosting the Affordable Housing Summit and Awards in 2010.

Proceedings of the event - sponsored by GROHE - began with a word by His Excellency, who was joined at the meeting by Ministers of Bahrain’s other government entities as well as Middle East property developers including many from the UAE, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Winners of the Award categories included Sabah Al Moayyed, General Manager of Eskan Bank, Barwa Masaken for Best Completed Development, Orascom for Best Community Experience, COWI for Best Master-planned Community and e-Construct for Best Planned Project. The Awards were handed to the winners by His Excellency and GROHE Regional Manager, Antoine Khalife at a gala dinner hosted at the Gulf Hotel Bahrain in Manama, which was also the venue for the Summit.

MADE IN GERMANY

A sense of freshness with Flowers Interview with Senior Vice President of Design, Paul Flowers

What is the vision of the GROHE inhouse design team?

Our design work is based on what we call ‘creative osmosis’, a school of thought which says that the results of creative work will trigger new creative processes in their surroundings and ultimately influence society in general.

This is our goal.

In more concrete terms, we want to offer great design that improves the quality of people’s lives both physically and emotionally. Today, we have the opportunity to evolve the bathroom from a functional space for cleaning and grooming into a place where people can experience water in such a way that it has a positive effect on their well-being. This concept is very much in line with long-term societal trends.

We want to make active use of these opportunities to shape the future and fully realise the potential of the GROHE brand.

Is today’s bathroom more about wellness than merely about hygiene? What effect does that have on your design?

Generally speaking the bathroom is the last true sanctuary in the home for reflection and contemplation. This migration from a functional space for cleaning and grooming to a personal retreat is creating the opportunity for new materials, forms and technologies.

New surfaces such as GROHE Ondus Velvet Black and Moon White are more tactile and emotional, with the new concept of ‘Sensual Minimalism’ combining simplicity and emotion. The digital technology of GROHE Ondus also plays a key role, as it enables consumers to create their own perfect experience with water and repeat this experience through the use of smart memory functions.

Paul Flowers: Senior Vice President of Design at GROHE

GROHE at 100% Design, London

The award-winning in-house design team at work What identifies the GROHE design?

Every successful brand has a significant identity which makes it unique and successful. The GROHE Design Team determines this semantic strategy at the beginning of the design process, defining those elements which make up the GROHE design DNA. The design features which the GROHE Design Studio has extracted from the large variety of conceivable possibilities can be found in all new products. The first element of the GROHE DNA is the ring, which defines the shower head, for instance. The second element is the 7° angle, the key element in the new spouts and operating levers. The third element is the lozenge, which can be found in the controller of the GROHE Ondus products or the shapes of the levers. The visualisation of the Design DNA was driven by a clear commitment to the recognisability of GROHE design and to making significant GROHE products which are designed to ensure easy access, invite interaction and balance aesthetics and functionality.

GROHE, leading manufacturer of premium bathroom fittings, made a big impression at 100% Design at London’s Earls Court (23rd – 26th September 2010). GROHE welcomed over 600 visitors from the worlds of design, architecture and media to the stand throughout the show, representing countries such as UK, South Korea, Russia, Singapore, Italy and USA. The stand itself reflected many of the concepts behind the latest GROHE products, such as tangibility and minimalism, as demonstrated by the award winning GROHE Ondus® range, which even with its highly innovative, technological features stays sleek and simplistic nonetheless. The monochrome theme leads back to both the latest interior trends, and also the available GROHE Ondus Digitecture™ colours which are Starlight Chrome, Moon White, Velvet Black, and Frosted Titanium.

Alongside award winning products like Ondus Digitecture™ and the Rainshower Icon WaterColour Collection, GROHE introduced Veris Digital for the first time at 100% Design. This exciting new range, which will bring affordable bathroom wireless technology to

Why has GROHE created an in-house design team?

Our international team of in house designers ensures creativity, continuity and above all expertise. It has built a

‘We want to offer great design that improves the quality of people’s lives both physically and emotionally’

Guests test award-winning products an international audience for the first time, received a fantastic reception from exhibition visitors.

For the first time, GROHE brought the highlights of 100% Design to those who could not make it down to the show through the GROHE Live Digital Studio. Film crews were on hand to capture interviews with leading architects and designers as well as GROHE representatives on subjects such as the future of digital technology and design and the hottest colour trends. These interviews were edited on site and packaged as short videos shown on the stand and on GROHE’s Facebook page, facebook.com/GROHEcom.

wealth of experience, expertise and knowledge and is able to create far more continuity and nurture our visual DNA. At the same time, the designers maintain close connections with research and development, production and marketing, all of which help to maintain the highest quality standards.

The Blue Globe Club P.O.Box 27048, CY-1641 Nicosia, Cyprus Fax: +357 22 379188 E-mail: blueglobe@grome.com Website: www.grohe.com Publisher: Grome Marketing (Cyprus) Ltd Editor: Lina Varytimidou For Cyprus: Tel: + 357 22 465200 Fax: + 357 22 379188

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