Spotlight... Villeroy & Boch

Innovating Since 1748

With one eye on the future, German ceramic manufacturer Villeroy & Boch looks to preserve its identity while moving with the times.

Words: Ben Thomas

For over 270 years, Villeroy & Boch has built a reputation for innovation. The Mettlach-headquartered company – whose beginnings date back to 1748, when François Boch, an iron master in the French village of Audun-le-Tiche, began producing ceramic dishes – has instilled a forwardthinking DNA into eight generations of owners, leading to the creation of stylish products that set new standards in hygiene, environmental friendliness and efficiency.

Now led by CEO Frank Göring, the firm operates manufacturing sites in eight European countries as well as in Mexico and Thailand, crafting items for the bathroom, kitchen and living sectors, and distributing them to more than 125 countries worldwide. This international reach has seen Villeroy & Boch featured in hotel projects across the globe too, most recently at Hoshinoya Guguan; a 50-key hot spring resort in Taiwan where guestrooms are equipped with Memento and Loop & Friends washbasins; and The Museum Hotel at Europa-Park in Germany, to which it supplied 1,000 pieces of Architectura sanitaryware, from the Loop & Friends built-in washbasins and bathtubs to the Memento handrinse washbasins and wall-mounted toilets.

Whether developing a new product range or devising solutions for a hotel, being avant-garde is integral to the brand’s approach, and as such, it employs its very own Innovation Manager, Dr Peter Delwing, who strives to achieve what he calls an “innovation culture”.

In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, when cleanliness and hygiene standards have become paramount, this philosophy could help set the company apart from others in the industry. The rimless design of the DirectFlush WC, for instance, means it can be cleaned quickly and thoroughly, with the interior of the bowl completely flushed thanks to a splash-free flow of water that reaches a level just below the rim. Likewise, the ViClean-I 100 combines the minimalist appearance of a conventional WC with the hygiene advantages of a shower toilet, featuring a HarmonicWave jet that moves backwards and forwards in a lateral wave movement, DirectFlush technology and a QuickRelease mechanism for easy removal of the seat. The system is also operated by intuitive remote control or smartphone app, reducing the number of touchpoints for users.

Villeroy & Boch’s finishing processes make it difficult for dirt and limescale to stick to products too. Innovative surface technology AntiBac suppresses the growth of bacteria by more than 99.9%, integrating antibacterial properties directly into bathroom ceramics and WC seats, while CeramicPlus lets drops of water form into beads, which simply drain away.

Aside from being germ-free, much of the brand’s Bathroom & Wellness portfolio – comprising everything from ceramics, whirlpool tubs and shower systems to installation technology, bathroom furniture and faucets – is design-led in equal measure, helping to transform bathrooms into wellbeing oases where consumers can refresh and recharge. Its ViPrint service, for instance, provides 20 bespoke decors for the Subway Infinity shower trays, ranging from natural imagery and tile patterns to graphic structures, while invisible jets developed for the whirlpool systems – available in gold, chrome or white to match the colour of the bathtub – feature a flush-fit installation and are virtually invisible in their idle state, only being driven out upon activation.

Pushing the boundaries when it comes to materiality, meanwhile, TitanCeram fuses natural resources such as feldspar, quartz and clay to form an innovative ceramic that allows for the creation of sanitaryware with uniquely precise designs, extra thin walls and clearly defined edges. Used to craft the popular Octogan, Collaro and Finion washbasins – designed by former Creative Director Kai Steffan – the material somewhat reflects Villeroy & Boch’s overarching ethos, drawing on over two centuries of production experience to open up new horizons for the future.

And it’s this ever-present combination of tradition and innovation that has seen the ceramic producer grow from a small pottery house in the picturesque countryside of northeastern France to an internationally respected brand that, by sticking to its values, is shaping the bathroom culture of today while keeping one eye firmly fixed on tomorrow. www.villeroy-boch.co.uk