Ideal Standard has visited Dubai for the final instalment of the year in its unique series of events, the Together World Tour. With a strong focus on design innovation, the event on 22 November was inspired by the dynamic ‘city of the future’

 The Together World Tour, Ideal Standard’s cinematic event series, recently stopped in Dubai for the fifth of six events taking place across the globe. An innovative fusion of digital content, the tour aims to inspire the international architecture and design community by showcasing the very best of design culture from each of the six distinctive cities.

Following the success of the tour’s previous events in cities across Europe, the penultimate in the series – titled A Moment of Innovation – looked to the future of architecture and design, using one of the world’s most modern destinations as the backdrop to share Ideal Standard’s very latest product developments.

The tour’s avant-premiere was an exclusive event held on November 21^st at the Belgium Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. The event attracted VIP guests from the architecture and interior design industry. In addition to the video presentation, the occasion hosted a panel discussion with guest speakers Architect Roberto Palomba, Chief Design Officer at Ideal Standard, Architect Janus Rostock, CEO of Signal, Architect Joe Tabet, Founder of JT+ Partners, Interior Designer Kristina Zanic, CEO of Kristina Zanic Consultants, Dr. Robert Platt, Vice President Visitor Experience at Expo 2020 Dubai, and Mr. Ahmad Alsalami, Head of Building Systems Development Unit at Dubai Municipality. The discussion was moderated by Marina Mrdjen, Founder and Strategic Director at Intelier, and revolved around the future of design and architecture, from the vantage point of sustainability, following the global mega trends of rapid urbanisation, climate change, and resource scarcity.

Chief Executive Officer of Ideal Standard MENA, Ahmad Hafez said: “Dubai Is an embodiment of transformation and progress. The massive feats that the city has achieved and the mammoth challenges that the city has faced in the last three to four decades speak of the city’s resilience and the leadership’s robust vision to make It the global icon that It Is today. From futuristic skyscrapers to traditional Arab architecture, the city bridges the old and the new, effortlessly. We can draw many parallels between the values of Dubai and our brand values. For over a century, we have been working with master designers of their respective eras and we are now re-inventing some of our most iconic designs from the past using the latest manufacturing technologies and materials to create collections that meet the needs of modern life.

“The physical event gave us an opportunity to connect again with our partners and colleagues, and it welcomed intriguing discussions in the presence of Industry stalwarts. It was an evening of knowledge exchange and engagement. We were thrilled to see the turn out and support from our everyone and are very grateful to the Belgium Pavilion for hosting the Together World Tour Dubai Edition.“ Mr. Hafez continued.

The digital tour was split into three parts, opening with a focus on culture and heritage to visit the older, historic districts of the city, with a spotlight on Ideal Standard’s new and award-winning Conca collection, which takes inspiration from the brand’s classic collection of the same name, designed in 1972, and includes ceramics, brassware, furniture and bathtubs. Part of the Atelier Collections, the contemporary products are the result of Ideal Standard’s exclusive partnership with renowned Italian design studio Palomba Serafini Associati and represent the brand’s commitment to shaping the future of modern living through design.

The event also featured interviews with some of the greatest minds in architecture and design, including Roberto Palomba, Janus Rostock, Joe Tabet, Kristina Zanic, Dr. Robert Platt and Ahmed Al Salami, before paying a visit to Expo 2020, the global exhibition taking place in Dubai which showcases innovative solutions for world issues and encourages collaboration to ensure a brighter future. 

Continuing on the theme of innovation, Ideal Standard’s Chief Design Officer, Roberto Palomba, presented Intellimix, Ideal Standard’s most pioneering product. Intellimix is a smart touchless tap that makes superior hygiene effortless with a timed delivery of water and soap from the same device. Its optimized wash cycle reduces the spread of harmful bacteria and viruses, and saves on water consumption.

Speaking of Intellimix, Roberto said: “Events of the past year have reinforced the importance of hygiene across the globe – which is not only impacting human behaviour, but has also permanently changed the requirements for public washroom design. It’s more critical than ever that these shared spaces, and the technology in them, are designed with the end user’s health and protection in mind.

“Intellimix has been introduced to meet these demands by improving hygiene and making it easier than ever before to ensure that all building users are handwashing effectively. Not only that, but it also contributes to achieving sustainability targets, while helping businesses save costs.”

Since its launch in April, the Together World Tour has visited Milan, Berlin, London, Paris and now Dubai – deep diving into the dynamic culture of each city and exploring their impact on the world of bathroom design.  

Frederick Trzcinski, Ideal Standard Gulf, Marketing & Innovation Director MENA, concluded: “The idea behind the Together World Tour was to take our customers on a visual journey through time into the world of design and architecture. The chosen cities reflect the design philosophy of Ideal Standard, timeless and elegant. The tour has been very well received by the industry so far and we hope to continue bringing brilliant content celebrating design, architecture and connections. The tour is not over yet, we have one final stop planned for 2022. We look forward to receiving the same response from our audience for the final stop and all other campaigns we plan for the future. “