Bjarke Ingels is everywhere these days—including your bathroom. Working with KiBiSi, the design group he founded with Lars Larsen and Jens Martin Skibsted, Ingels created a 14-piece Taper bath and shower collection for Kallista. KiBiSi expanded on its signature midcentury Danish aesthetic to create smooth cone-to-cylinder shapes for the faucets, towel bar, handles, and other hardware. Unlike traditional faucets, the sleek design eliminates the escutcheon—the ring around the base of the faucet—and keeps the spout tip flush with the faucet. Right angles contrast with the rounded forms for a seamless, geometric effect.

The Architect’s Newspaper: How did this collaboration come about and what design requests did Kallista have?

Bjarke Ingels: Kallista approached BIG looking for new designs combining advanced engineering with minimalist style that is rooted in classic mid-20th century Danish design. We were inspired by their openness to create something truly innovative.

What inspired Taper? What did you look to for inspiration?

Simple geometry and a holistic strategy. There is something beautiful in translating the practical into poetry. The sculpted shape of Taper is designed to provide a simplified flow of water to the hands and body. We wanted to strip the form down to its most elemental essence.

Why did you eliminate the escutcheon?  Did that alter or inform the rest of the design?

The idea in eliminating the escutcheon and other elements, including a base and bonnet was to give Taper a purity of form, the appearance of a single, flowing silhouette.

As an architect, were there elements to the production process that surprised or challenged you?

Yes, creating Taper was an intensely architectural process. There were very precise engineering requirements to assure that the exterior form was in sync with its essential function, i.e. the easy flow of water through unusually compact piping. That was maybe our biggest challenge. But of course we made it work.