The Punto bathroom collection: striking the perfect note between rationality and emotion
05.2022
We talk to designers George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg to find out more about Punto
Presenting Punto, the new Salvatori bathroom collection, designed by Yabu Pushelberg
Punto, designed by Yabu Pushelberg for Salvatori, is a new bathroom collection that combines modular flexibility with a bold, distinctive character.
Its unconventional aesthetic challenges preconceptions and plays with materials to create unexpected, intriguing configurations that elicit emotions in what can often be the most impersonal room in a home. Instead, with Punto, the bathroom is transformed into an energy-restoring, expressive space through an artful combination of colours, vivid patterns and irregular forms.
The result is a collection that strikes the perfect note between rationality and emotion, a fascinating juxtaposition of textures, materials and lines that create dynamic and arresting compositions. At Salvatori, we are generally associated with natural stone and in Punto, it combines with intriguingly-veined wood in a fascinating dialogue that introduces a surprising new aspect to our product range.
The launch collection comprises two basin variants, in the form of a cabinet or wooden countertop-cum-shelf, both with a countertop sink. Both options include a stone backsplash in which the veining has been meticulously studied to create a continuous pattern so that it brings the other elements together. At the same time, however, it acts as a vertical intersection, producing a pleasingly dynamic effect against the horizontal axis.
Completing the Punto composition is a large backlit mirror in a choice of two variants, both with soft curves that are in contrast with the clean, sharp lines of the other elements. Each separate component, however, comes together to create an extraordinary synergy for a bathroom solution that is harmonious yet original.
The Punto collection was designed to appeal to architects working in both residential and hospitality sectors and taps into Salvatori’s Plug&Play approach, which aims to make installation as easy as possible, thus significantly reducing project timelines.
Where did the inspiration for the Punto collection come from?
Glenn Pushelberg: I see Punto as an embodiment of the frisson that results from the collaboration of left and right sides of the brain; its rationality appeals to us, and we feel the emotion simultaneously, encapsulating both creative and analytical modes of thinking. That balance is where you get the “pop”, or that moment of thrill and delight from the collection.
George Yabu: The inspiration was also to break away from traditional notions of modularity. To borrow a metaphor from fashion, modularity is a trend similar to “ready to wear” clothing designs. What we have created is a modular system that fits in easily anywhere, but appears more bespoke, or tailor-made. It can also offer different experiences through its different forms: the oval veneer or amorphous mirror, the vertical faucet support juxtaposed with the horizontal washbasin. That asymmetrical beauty is a visual signal that feels custom.
How do the materials themselves influence your designs?
Continuing that balance between the rational and emotional, Punto is defined by neutral palettes paired with daring patterns. We sought out materials that evoked more zest and energy than traditionally found in contract bathrooms, choosing one lacquer material, a natural material, and one really wild pattern. The combination of clearheaded colorways and emotionally charged configurations expresses the energetic balance of Punto.
What is the biggest challenge in designing a bathroom for the contract sector?
To achieve something that is lasting, but also new. Like modern kitchens, bathrooms have become associated with lifestyle beyond pure functionality, especially with the recently renewed interest in working from home and asking what people really want from their environments. The intent becomes to create what people want now, but to infuse personality into it so that keeps integrity throughout its life.
How do you see bathroom design evolving in the contract sector?
With a contract bathroom, it has to be able to sit in any space, so it’s not necessarily a tailored fit from wall to wall. More design options that support unique expressions that can be chosen specifically for a given space are needed, and more consideration of design motifs that are trendy enough to be noticed, but not so trendy that they can’t suit many different spaces, or lose their longevity. The quality of timelessness in the contract sector is evolving.
Beyond the purely functional aspect, why are bathrooms so important to a hotel?
They’re a point of exclamation, a point of joy! People start and end their day in the bathroom. Starting the day is an important moment, and then you are back, reflecting on the day before bed. It’s a cyclical place, personal and important. Hospitality should enhance these personal cycles.
In terms of aesthetics, what makes Punto different from Anima, your previous collection for Salvatori?
Anima is an exploration of the boundaries and properties of two materials; we applied the sensibilities of clay to marble for a fluid, gently curved, and continuous silhouette. Anima is spiritual and sensuous.
In Punto, an energetic combination of linear and amorphous shapes come together as one balanced form, and different materials coalesce in calm, rational hues and invigorating patterns. Punto is defined by its surprising—yet undeniable—cohesion; it’s arresting, streamlined, but playful.
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