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An avalanche of prizes for HEWI

Five high-calibre design awards for HEWI in 2023.

Genuine classics, universal design par excellence and intuitive, cross-generational use – the various juries of the high-calibre international design awards were full of praise for HEWI’s detail and system solutions. As an expert in barrier-free sanitary products, HEWI impressed the design specialists across the board – and received several awards in 2023 alone: the iF Design Award 2023 and the German Design Award “Special Mention” for range 477/801 ICONIC, which is the new edition of the accessible sanitary classic 477/801. HEWI has received further awards for the innovative magnetic shower holder, including the Universal Design Expert Award, which is specially for in barrier-free solutions.

Innovative strength and colour

More than 6,000 submissions from over 70 countries were submitted to the jury of the international design competition, the iF Design Award, which honours outstanding design achievements and social commitment and, according to its own statement, is only awarded to those with the greatest innovative strength. Range 477/801 ICONIC received the coveted award in the “Bathroom” category. HEWI developed three new, emotionally appealing colour concepts for the iconic and barrier-free 477/801 range and won over the international jury, consisting of 132 design experts from over 20 countries.

With its revitalising effect, the colour trio of coral, aqua blue and pure white is predestined for healthcare buildings in the care sector. The tricolour compositions apple green, may green, coral and aqua blue, steel blue, apple green were developed specifically for use in children’s clinics, kindergartens and nurseries to create a gentle, calming and harmonising colour effect.

“Most comprehensive system solution to date” - praise from the jury Sanitary range 477/801 ICONIC

The international jury of the renowned German Design Award emphasised that HEWI had succeeded in creating a “true classic” with the 477/801 range more than 40 years ago: “The first and still the most comprehensive system solution for standardised, barrier-free sanitary fittings”. HEWI was all the more pleased about the great appreciation of the three new colour concepts with their appealing appearance in the Excellent Product Design Bath and Wellness category. The fact that HEWI has incorporated important aspects such as the interaction between people and the environment or the healing effect of design and colour into its design concept was also rated positively. “Colours have been proven to influence our well-being and can have a positive impact on healing processes,” confirms Jara Seibel, Product Manager at HEWI. “It was important to us to combine the requirements of robustness and hygiene with an appealing colour scheme to create an inspiring and emotional interior design. For example, we took into account the fact that children have a completely different perception of space.” 

Added value for all generations

Another product with outstanding innovative strength and great benefit is the patented magnetic shower head holder from HEWI System 900. Its advantages: significantly simplified handling and therefore, in terms of universal design, noticeable added value for all generations, but especially for people with motor impairments. The magnetic shower holder was honoured with the German Innovation Award 2023 in the Excellence in Business to Business – Building & Elements category. The competition, organised by the German Design Council, honours products, projects and services that sustainably improve life through pioneering solutions. One of the convincing features here was the simple and easy height adjustment by sliding the shower holder thanks to its magnetic function. 

Universal design par excellence 

The jury of the ICONIC Award: Innovative architecture - Best of Best, too, was won over: “The HEWI magnetic shower holder is universal design par excellence: intuitive and easy to operate with one hand, hygienic and easy to clean thanks to smooth surfaces, and hard-wearing thanks to the absence of mechanical locking knobs.” Also in the foreground was “the attractive design, which bears no trace of the bland after-taste of age- or disability-appropriate design.” The magnetic shower holder is available in stainless steel and chrome as well as powder-coated in white, black and grey. The ICONIC Award in the bathroom accessories category was also presented by the German Design Council, which among other things honours holistic and visionary design approaches. The jury of the Universal Design Competition 2023 set a special focus and presented the Universal Design Expert Award to HEWI. The panel attached great importance to “cross-generational, broad, simple and intuitive usability”, which it found to be fully met by the magnetic shower holder submitted.

HEWI is delighted with the recognition associated with the design awards and sees this as confirmation of its company philosophy: “People and their individual needs have always been at the centre of everything we do. The same applies to our endeavours to combine outstanding design with innovative functions and maximum ease of use,” says HEWI Managing Director Thorsten Stute.

HEWI Heinrich Wilke GmbH

Since its foundation in 1929, HEWI has developed into a system provider for comprehensive solutions in the areas of building hardware, sanitary accessories, and accessible products. Over the past 90 years, the company has grown to become a leader in in the field of accessibility and a recognised expert in system design. In line with Universal Design, the focus for HEWI is on people’s individual needs.

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