#Industry News
jonas lindvall's stone bathroom embodies the possibilities of vals quartz
formed over more than 250 million years ago and extracted from the alps in the swiss village of vals, the fine-veined appearance of vals quartzite makes it an aesthetically appealing choice among architects and designers.
however, its hard, layered composition renders it difficult to work with and until now few, if any, have used the stone to create bathtubs from a solid block. this was the challenge swedish designer jonas lindvall faced when designing a bathroom installation for his recent exhibition at landskrona konsthall.
the bathtub measures 73cm wide x 173cm long x 57cm high with 5cm thick sides, and was carved from a solid block of stone, which weighed almost five tons prior to its transformation. cut vertically to create a line pattern, the slate-like composition of the stone made it extremely difficult to cut. formed in layers, the mixture of crystals found within the stone imbue it with an incredible strength and the varying nature of the composites can be a challenge even for diamonds which are commonly used for cutting such hard materials. the matching wall-hung washbasin was also created from one solid stone block, and measures 152cm long x 30cm wide x 30cm deep. it is attached to a quartz clad wall using three steel consoles, embedded within the structure.
the designer comments on the project, ‘I chose vals quartzite primarily for its expressive quality and its natural beauty. I often work with marble, which is a lot softer and more pliant, so the hard, unyielding quality of the stone was quite a challenge. in fact, the solid stone bathtub was, apparently, a first for truffer ag, and stonecon, who supplied the vals quartzite for the project. thanks to the skill and diligence of stonemason rob krieger of henkelstorps natursten, we have created a real showpiece of a bathroom; something that exemplifies the raw beauty of nature and the strength of organic materials.’
