Villeroy & Boch and Ideal Standard present sensory installation shaped by light, sound and scent

An installation featuring basins that alter colour and water fittings set in scented spaces has been unveiled by Villeroy & Boch and Ideal Standard at Milan design week, as captured in this video produced by Dezeen.

Created with design agency Elastique, the installation transforms the brands' Milan showroom into a sequence of immersive environments combining projection, sound, texture and scent.

Visitors move through five rooms, each designed as a self-contained installation exploring bathroom design through sensory elements.

Design Continuum presents bathroom design through a sequence of sensory spaces

One of the spaces features Antao 3D, a 3D-printed washbasin prototype made from 100-per-cent-recycled ceramic.

The installation comprises a silo that releases fine sand onto a central mound, triggering projection mapping across the surrounding forms to visualise how discarded material is reprocessed into new products.

The layered surfaces of the basins emphasise this process, with visible striations left by the 3D-printing technique.

Layered cylindrical and conical forms made of ceramic sit in sand mounds beneath soft lighting — Falling sand activates projection mapping across 3D-printed ceramic washbasins

In another room, Artis Sense introduces an interactive element, allowing visitors to rotate a series of basins with ribbed surfaces.

As the objects are turned, projections shift across gauze screens in response to their movement.

The ribbed surfaces influence the visual patterns and colours, turning the objects into interactive elements rather than static products.

Three basins displayed on black plinths in a dark room with curved walls — Visitors can rotate basins to alter colour and pattern projections in the space

The Vea installation focuses on water fittings presented within a fragranced environment to create a more atmospheric experience.

Set in a darkened space, the Vea tap is framed as a focal object, with fragrance added within the installation to extend the perception of water beyond its physical function.

Long display table with ceramic basins and stones — Organically shaped basins are presented alongside flowing water

Nearby, Antao Earth uses flowing water, analogue slide projections and organically shaped basins finished with a textured glaze inspired by natural landscapes, referencing the tactile qualities associated with handmade objects.

Another space presents Atelier Collections, where washbasins are shown in alternating light and dark environments, with light and shadow tracing their geometry and revealing an enduring form that evolves over time.

Single basin displayed inside a square wall niche — A washbasin is set within a recessed display where light and shadow trace its form

Across the installation, the designers adopt what they describe as a "ready-made" spatial approach.

Technical elements such as lighting rigs, projection equipment and structural supports are deliberately left visible, while each installation is treated as an independent intervention.

Entrance to an exhibition space with Design Continuum text on a wall — The exhibition is in Villeroy & Boch and Ideal Standard's Milan showroom

Titled Design Continuum: A Study in Sensory Experience, the project brings together Villeroy & Boch and Ideal Standard for a joint presentation at Milan design week.

The installation is housed in the brands' Milan showroom at Foro Buonaparte 70, ahead of its reopening later in 2026.

According to the brands, the exhibition reflects a shift towards designing bathrooms as spaces shaped by material innovation and sensory experience, rather than purely functional environments.

The photography is courtesy of Villeroy & Boch.

Design Continuum is on show at Villeroy & Boch and Ideal Standard's showroom at Foro Buonaparte 70 in Milan from 21 to 26 April 2026. See our Milan design week 2026 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks that took place throughout the week.

Partnership content

This video was produced for Villeroy & Boch and Ideal Standard as part of a partnership. Find out more about our partnership content here.

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