ICFF 2024: The Water Studio x GROHE

There’s no question of water’s importance to our lives, livelihoods, and well-being. But there is also a pleasure to the liquid that goes beyond function. GROHE, the German manufacturer of kitchen and bath fixtures, explored the sensory aspects of water at ICFF 2024, creating a space that immersed visitors in water’s visual, aural, and tactile qualities.

A collaboration with ICFF and Rodolfo Agrella Design Studio (RADS), The Water Studio x GROHE was bathed in indigo hues and featured the soothing trickle of a running stream. A dynamic screen cycled through images of water, while mirrored ceiling panels from FLEXMIRROR reflected the color, adding depth and shimmer. Furniture from Rarify, including a long conference table and chairs, provided a space to sit and take it all in.

Yet the most notable part of the Studio was its series of water trays, located along the edge. There, visitors could select their own reusable water bottle and fill it with a choice of tap, chilled filtered, medium sparkling, or fully sparkling water, delivered on-demand from one of the three GROHE Blue faucets and water systems. The latter, which provides Blue’s cooling and carbonation features, also includes an optional filtration setting that removes impurities from the water, improving its quality and taste.

Rodolfo Agrella, principal of RADS and creative director of ICFF, says The Water Studio x GROHE was designed to “showcase an array of water dynamics, from static to animated” as well as “generate a soothing feeling” through its sights and sounds.

Stephanie Martin, Leader, Communications and Corporate Responsibility Commercial Business Partner at LIXIL, the parent company of GROHE, adds that the design also was inspired by GROHE’s promise of delivering Pure Freude an Wasser (The Pure Joy of Water). “We envisioned it as a serene, peaceful space,” she says of the Studio, “[one] perfect for networking, learning, and engaging in thoughtful conversations about design, innovation, and sustainability.”

To that point, Jean-Jacques L’Henaff, the Global Design Americas Leader for GROHE/LIXIL, moderated several discussions in the Studio during the Fair, including ones about eco-conscious luxury living and ways quality materials can extend a product’s lifecycle. Other programming in the space included Veronika Milner, from design influencer network Designhounds, who hosted a workshop about colors, textures, and the impact of both on human well-being; Pamela McNally, the Senior VP of Marketing and Digital for NKBA | KBIS, also spoke about the focused on the latest tech developments and trends in kitchen and bath.