VOLTA. Photographer, PIerre Kellenberger
After four years of development, the first electric tunnel kiln for sanitaryware has successfully been producing ceramic bathroom products in Gmunden, Austria, since November 2023— replacing the previous gas kiln. Located at LAUFEN’s innovation-forward facility, which already uses renewable electricity and solar panels, the plant provided ideal conditions for this pioneering leap in ceramic production.
The new e-kiln is the result of the collaboration with German Keramischer Ofenbau, world technological leader in the production of kilns for ceramics. LAUFEN has achieved Cradle to Cradle Certified® Circularity at the Bronze level for its ceramic products produced at this site—an important milestone in sustainable manufacturing.
Given the kiln is highly efficient, decarbonised and automated, it provides a valuable alternative to conventional production dependent on fossil fuels, making Gmunden the world’s first emission-free sanitaryware factory.
To celebrate the potential of this breakthrough, LAUFEN invited global design leader Yves Béhar to imagine and create the first object using the electric kiln. The result is VOLTA, a sculptural washbasin that reimagines the movement of water as a swirling vortex—blending visual poetry with enhanced flow and self-cleaning efficiency.
Yves Béhar, Fuseproject. Photographer, Alanna Hale
“It was a dream come true to create something that has never been done before,” says Marc Viardot, Marketing and Design Director of Roca Group. “It felt that with the new electric kiln, paired with LAUFEN’s unique Saphirkeramik technology, the time was ripe for our collaboration. Since this was Yves’ first project with sanitary ceramics, we gave him carte blanche to create an icon. Inspired by the first CO₂-free production in the world, Yves approach was very fresh and resulted in an unconventional new concept for the bathroom. It feels a bit like we reinvented the wheel - at least the way we relate to the daily use of water.”
VOLTA also marks a new chapter in the exploration of Saphirkeramik, LAUFEN’s signature ultra-thin and very resistant ceramic material. Developed at the Gmunden Innovation Centre and launched in 2013, Saphirkeramik has revolutionised bathroom design with its precision and creative flexibility over the years. Béhar’s VOLTA pushes these boundaries even further, demonstrating how technological innovation, aesthetic clarity, and high functionality can be seamlessly combined.
The global leader in design and Founder and CEO of Fuseproject, Béhar, drew inspiration from water – an element that has played a significant role in his life and has always captivated him. By observing and studying its fluid and ever-changing motion, he has created sleek, sculptural washbasins that beautifully reinterpret its movement. The innovative aspect lies in the unique shape of the sink’s interior, designed with two distinct levels. This not only creates an aesthetic of movement but also generates a swirling motion of the water which ensures the basin is cleaned perfectly.
Photographer, PIerre Kellenberger
Furthermore, LAUFEN has developed a large hidden outlet that reduces the size of the siphon and makes the overall aesthetics more elegant. According to Yves Behar, designers must bring people closer to nature and rethink their relationship with the objects.
“My favourite saying that I use a lot in my work is: ‘Design accelerates the adoption of new ideas’”, says Béhar. “The new idea of the electric kiln can be experienced in the way that it takes the force of the sun and turns it into power. While our ceramic designs show us the beauty and motion of water and creates an experience of nature.”
With VOLTA, Béhar and LAUFEN offer not just a new object, but a new relationship with water, materials, and the rituals of the everyday—proving that sustainability and sensuality can coexist beautifully.
Photo credits © LAUFEN
