The go-to destination for designers, architects and developers looking to explore the possibilities of choosing RAK Ceramics products for their projects, The Design Hub is a unique concept, designed to be an interactive environment to inspire creativity.
100 St John Street in London is ideally placed for those visiting the capital’s design quarter in Clerkenwell, with the Hub being one of the largest venues of its kind in the area, with 7,276sq ft over two floors. The space provides designers with an immersive space to share ideas and includes a working kitchen display, working tap display, Virtual Worlds 4D Theatre and a ‘Grab and Go’ sample area.
As well as showcasing RAK Ceramics bathroom ranges, kitchen taps and brassware, the Design Hub also offers a dedicated area which showcases its extensive range of tiles, including Mega Slabs. These include Luce, translucent extra-large format slabs that are perfect for lighting up interior design projects in environments ranging from hotels and restaurants to bars and clubs.
The translucent body of Luce is made with a very high purity of raw materials containing special and high-quality clays and minerals. When illuminated, Luce’s special body gives a soft glow and transforms the design from a plain tile to a soft natural marble. The range includes seven different graphics and colours in marble and onyx effect, that replicate the natural ability of the stones to filter the light.
The Design Hub also provides meeting facilities for designers, architects and developers who are encouraged to use the space to seek inspiration from the displays. There will also be a regular series of events, seminars and talks relevant to the industry. These began during the opening week with a series of Design Insights from several of the renowned designers RAK Ceramics has collaborated with recently, including Patrick Nourget, Giuseppe Maurizio Scutellà and Federico Sandri.
The Design Hub will also be home to new collections as they are launched, with experimental innovations also showcased, to gain feedback and build excitement around RAK Ceramics products and innovations, giving designers and architects the first glance.
Making its UK debut at the official opening of the Design Hub was the ELIE SAAB Bathroom and Surface Collection, inspiring interior designers and architects to create unique, luxurious, and distinctive environments. ELIE SAAB and RAK Ceramics are leading companies in their respective fields and share a vision of exquisite design, impeccable craftsmanship and uncompromising excellence in luxury interiors. Beautiful finishes, elegant marble textures, classic and contemporary colour combinations are produced using only the finest raw materials and the latest technology.
The new collection from the fashion designer features five elegant ranges – Glamour, Liquid Metal, Royal, Soft Lux and Travertinum. With its stunning and sophisticated onyx, palissandro and dark marble finishes, the Glamour collection makes a fashion statement touching every corner, where Liquid Metal is more spontaneous in striking gold with concrete finishes, adding a unique and contemporary touch to interiors.
With uncompromising attention to detail, the Royal collection adds a commanding elegance to any contemporary living space. Soft Lux adds a genuinely luxurious decadence to the range with its golden and gleaming qualities and elegant marble textures. Finally, the organic textures and timeless golden accents of Travertinum add a natural charm and enduring elegance to any prestigious living space.
Elie Saab Jr, CEO of ELIE SAAB Group, said: “Collaborating with RAK Ceramics broadens the scope of our product offerings and extends the brand’s DNA by introducing another way of luxury living and translating the heritage of ELIE SAAB’s signature with our distinctive style combining contemporary and timeless.”
Abdallah Massaad, Group CEO, RAK Ceramics, commented: “We are proud to have collaborated with Elie Saab and his team to create a truly remarkable tiles and bathroom collection which raise the bar in terms of ceramic design and manufacturing.”
Commenting on the opening of the new Design Hub, Ben Bryden RAK Ceramics Sales and Marketing Director for the UK, said: “The location gives us the opportunity to express the possibilities our products and solutions bring to the design architectural and specifiers world.
“Perhaps our biggest point of difference is that RAK Ceramics provides a full interiors solution – from sanitaryware, brassware, furniture, mirrors and wall, floor and outdoor tiles. This means there are solutions available for both the top end luxury market and the more everyday functional needs of large volume orders.
“As an innovator within the interiors sector helping shape new trends and ideas rather than simply responding to them, RAK Ceramics is able to offer a complete solution for any project.
“By keeping abreast of trends and predictions of what might be coming next for the bathroom, we can react quickly with product solutions that fulfil a need with designers, supported by a unique supply chain, with full UK warehousing.”
