Tapping into nature

'We don't need lamps, we need light,' says Jean-Marie Massaud. 'And we don't need plumbing fixtures, we need water.' With this line of reasoning, the Frenchman collaborated with Axor, the designer brand of Hansgrohe, to develop nature-inspired bathroom fixtures, promoted as 'sculptures dispossessed of technology'. The Axor Massaud collection includes, among other items, a 40cm-wide single-lever tap (above, HK$6,380), whose stem is inspired by the bend of a blade of grass, and a floor-stand towel rack (left, HK$15,680) in the shape of a small tree. The products are available from ViA, 1A Electric Street/Star Street, Wan Chai, tel: 3102 0808.