This was the question Duravit explored with the Italian industrial designer Antonio Bullo. This led to their recent collaboration: a toilet that combines a hygienic ceramic interior with a customizable exterior made from DuroCast Smooth.
“I created Millio to breathe new life into objects that are otherwise confined to their bare essentials,” said Antonio Bullo, explaining the basic idea of the toilet. The design includes three surface finishes that are available in different colors. “Millio goes beyond mere function by dissolving the division that currently exists between sanitary ceramic and the bathroom.
Millio is completely integrated into the aesthetics of the bathroom,” Bullo went on to say, describing his creation.
The best of both worlds: innovative material composite.
The toilet is comprised of two distinctly separate parts, yet they are a perfect fit: a ceramic toilet interior and a mineral-material exterior that is pleasantly soft to the touch.
The unique material combination offers the best of both worlds: the customizable exterior provides the maximum opportunity for versatility of design and is combined with outstanding hygiene thanks to the ceramic toilet interior. Duravit’s choice for the exterior is DuroCast Smooth, a durable material that is more than equal to the rigors of everyday use.
WC design with maximum individuality
DuroCast Smooth provides a gel coat finish that enables a variety of colours and textures to be combined, making it extremely versatile in terms of design opportunities.
The colour palette comprises five contemporary colours curated by designer Christian Werner and is available in one of three different grooved and patterned surface textures. The colour concept includes other Duravit products that can be merged in various ways – from a monochrome bathroom in Parlour Blue right up to a multi-coloured composition.
A special option is available for order quantities of 24 units and above. Ordered in such numbers, Millio can be manufactured in any colour, opening completely new design opportunities for projects.
For example, if the colour of a brand identity is to be consistently integrated into a building project, such an offering can be included within the overall design concept.
Design that meets the highest hygiene standards
As a ceramic specialist with decades of experience, Duravit selected hygienic ceramic as the material for the body of the Millio toilet. The inner basin of the glossy white surface was additionally finished with the HygieneGlaze antibacterial glaze to offer maximum hygiene. After just six hours, 90% of bacteria (e.g. coli bacteria) are inhibited and after 24 hours 99.9% – an unprecedented level. The exterior made from DuroCast Smooth is affixed to the ceramic bowl via a waterproof bond, making it easy to clean. Similarly, the pore-free surface of the mineral material plays its part in keeping the toilet clean and hygienic.