Door fittings are design objects that we perceive more or less consciously in our daily lives, at home and when out and about. Decisions about door furniture should be made with the same care and attention that we give to choosing the furniture when putting our own personal stamp on our interiors. These are decisions that must stand the test of time – most door fittings are in place for decades, or even generations. They become a part of daily life. They must be pleasing, both aesthetically and functionally. When Matthias Lamparter, Chief Executive of Griffwerk GmbH, was looking for new inspiration in 2012, he turned to sieger design. Headed today by brothers Christian and Michael Sieger, sieger design is one of Germany’s premier design practices. In the baroque surroundings of Castle Harkotten, in the Münsterland, sieger’s designers work in quiet concentration on tap fittings and entire bathroom ranges. The considered functionality and equally measured design approach ensure that these objects are highly sought after.
Design comes alive
The choice of surface, the engineered sound of the water and fine, subtle contours of the shape turn household consumables such as taps into objects of desire. The joint design project in collaboration with Griffwerk was launched with the same intention, of developing an aesthetic, experiential quality in door fittings. The cooperation was close and intense. The two companies compared notes and swapped ideas in multiple workshops and sometimes contentious discussions, developing and refining their designs together. The result of this collaboration was a collection of door handles and a door latch for glass swing doors, now available on the market as the “Characters” collection.
Full of character
“Characters are individual, many facted and multi-layered,” explains designer Michael Sieger. “A character is produced from the sum of a range of attributes. These are malleable, alive, and they must be interesting. They invite us to encounter them again and again. And despite all attempts at precision, they are generally open to interpretation and individual taste. This understanding was our guiding principle as we worked to develop this collection.”
Gate door lock
The first character to be unveiled is GATE. It is the collection’s glass door latch, which acts as the interface between the handle and the door. The extremely minimalist yet contemporary R8 design is exceptionally eye-catching. The corners have been completely rounded off, their gentle curves belying the strict geometric principles beneath. R8 refers to the radius measurement used in the design process. The body of the latch mechanism has been milled from a block of aluminium, allowing very precise definition of the edges while ensuring that the front plate is absolutely blemish-free. With a high-quality polished finish, the latch fitting surface is identical to the stainless steel milled handles. It was particularly important to ensure that the generously proportioned front plates remained free of finger marks and prints. This has been guaranteed by the use of a special, high-quality finish. Additional technological refinements can be seen in the user comfort. As with all latches in the Griffwerk collection, the handle has a triple-stabilised lever action.
Triple stabilised lever action
The “Rota Perfect” guide ring has been patented and in combination with the Stabilio Rings and dual clamp follower, completes the seamless action of the lever mechanism. “Rota Perfect” is maintenance-free. Using a high amount of “Slide Perfect”, it doesn’t make a sound and is comfortable to use. A special feature of all the new products, which Griffwerk now identifies throughout its range of high-quality and mid-range lever mechanisms with the series number 1.0, is the “Star Safe” adaptor.
No chance of door sagging
The Star Safe adaptor, developed by Griffwerk, is a star-shaped fastener ring that is placed in the hinge drill hole. It prevents the door from sagging in the future. The matching Gate hinges also feature the R8 design and have non-slip soft pads that protect the glass. The Gate lock mechanism was available immediately from specialist retailers and was thus the first product in the new Characters collection, the rest of which was launched by the end of 2013.
