Great design and high quality craftsmanship are synonymous with Danish design. Architects, designers and design consumers alike are quick to lean toward Danish-produced pieces when given a choice. Almost every case or example pulled from the present day to our recent history reinforces a wide acceptance of the superiority of Danish design.
VOLA, established in 1968, is one such example that spans multiple time periods. Its very first mixer tap, the iconic 111 mixer, has remained unchanged in the 50-plus years since it was first released. While it was first designed in collaboration with Danish architect and designer Arne Jacobsen and VOLA owner Verner Overgaard for The National Bank in Copenhagen, the 111 mixer continues to find its place in modern homes in Denmark, Australia, and across the globe. It is a testament to Danish design and VOLA’s commitment to producing tapware that lasts for generations.
Ahm House in Harpenden in Hertfordshire, England
Jørn Utzon is another celebrated Danish architect whose work can be found in Australia. The Sydney Opera House is an icon of modern architecture and takes pride of place in the Sydney skyline. In his time Utzon has designed a few iconic houses, too. The Ahm House in England was designed for Povl Ahm, a structural engineer he met whilst working together on the Opera House. In fact, the tiles on the floor are duplicates of those used for the Opera House. With such a strong emphasis on timeless, enduring and high quality design it’s no surprise to find VOLA tapware dotted throughout the residence.
VOLA has a large audience of architects and design lovers and uses this position to act as an ambassador of Danish design, educating interested consumers across the globe on the history of their design heritage, and how it has the potential to inform the future. As part of the brands On Design series, VOLA shares its access to some of the world’s most highly regarded designers and design studios, such as the Utzon studio.
Throughout its long history the VOLA design team has treated their briefs as if they are for functional art pieces or metal sculptures throughout the home. As a result, whether consciously or not, many architects have designed luxury kitchens and bathrooms around these Danish centrepieces.
Being designed, made and produced in Denmark, VOLA has complete control over the quality of the products from initial concept to final output. Furthermore, their products offer unrivaled perfection and attention to detail because each and every piece has been through human hands.
Can Lis, Majorca
For this attention to detail Jørn Utzon collaborated frequently with VOLA right through his career. One of his later projects, Can Lis in Mallorca, was designed for his family and embodies his fascination, research, and self-motivated education on different countries’ architectural vernacular. One of the great successes of Can Lis is the poker face of its exterior – giving no clues as to the style of architecture inside. In reality, it is genderless, ageless, and not necessarily a product of its location. In a similar vein VOLA is equally at home in modernist houses of the 1960s as it is in present-day contemporary beach houses or luxury inner-city dwellings. Unsurprisingly, VOLA is found throughout Can Lis.
VOLA, On Design
vola.com
Photography by James O Davies
Photography by Pedro Pegenaute and Tapio Snellman
