‘As if liquid diamonds were falling from the sky’ – Michael Neumayr creates shower for Dornbracht
With Aquahalo, Michael Neumayr has designed a sculptural shower for Dornbracht that creates unique experiences with water, guaranteeing meditative and revitalising moments of happiness in everyday life.
Read below the interview given by the Austrian-Danish designer, where he talks about his inspiration, the precision involved in the design process and how light influences the shower experience.
Mr Neumayr, how did you come up with the Aquahalo design?
In my parents’ house in Austria, where I grew up, there was a chandelier – a model in the Gustavian style, a Swedish style that was inspired by antiquity and French classicism. My mum, who was also a designer, had the idea of adding a small light inside the impressive construction – a ring, four candles, a crystal curtain tapering upwards. In this way, the light played with the crystals and created marvellous refractions. It reminded me of bubbles in sparkling water. I created a contemporary, minimalist interpretation of this chandelier for the Aquahalo. The shower itself was to have an absolutely minimalist design – only the water, the highlight of the design, was to complete the design of the chandelier.
What role does water quality play?
The quality of the water and the way it is presented are decisive factors in a sensory shower. We observed in detail how the water interacts with the skin and body and determined its effect: What kind of jet relaxes us? What revitalises? The size of the water droplets and the intensity play a key role here. We curated literally every little drop, every angle at which the water falls from the ring.
How are the water experiences offered by the Aquahalo different?
The Aquahalo has three types of jet that create very different wellness experiences. Aqua Circle Rain is a soft ring of water. The particularity of this product is that, if you want, your head can stay dry during the shower.
Tempest Rain, on the other hand, simulates tropical rain: the water is thrown upwards until it reaches its peak and gravity pulls it back down. As the drops fall, they cross paths with each other. The speed at which the drops hit the skin is not generated by the usual water pressure, but by gravity. The drops have a particularly gentle effect on our bodies – just like natural rain.
Diamond Rain falls from a point of light and water on the ceiling. Here, water and light are in direct contact with each other, combining in a dense, shimmering jet. As the drops are significantly larger than in Aqua Circle and Tempest Rain, it really does look like liquid diamonds are falling from the sky.
What is the effect of the Aquahalo?
The Aquahalo stimulates the head, neck and spine as the water jets exert different levels of pressure on the skin. The sensory shower creates moments of absolute bliss: relaxation, regeneration and well-being. This was always the main priority during development.
