Since 1968, the Neue National Gallery has been a temple for the fine arts of the 20th century with an international reputation. The building is considered an icon of classical modernism and is the only building project that Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969) realized in Germany after the Second World War. The square pavilion made of steel and glass is divided into a monumental, column-free main hall for temporary exhibitions, above which a vast coffered steel roof seems to float. It embodies Mies van der Rohe's idea of a variable universal space whose function is not architecturally defined.

The refurbishment of this architectural monument took over five years to complete and was led by the Berlin office of David Chipperfield Architects. The team managed to meticulously restore the listed building while preserving the building's visual unity. The aim was to preserve as much of the historic structure as possible and only use modern solutions or replicas where absolutely necessary.

As part of the renovation, 12 washbasin replicas were required due to the original fittings no longer being usable. The public toilets in the basement had to be completely renovated for hygienic and aesthetic reasons. In search of a manufacturer who could reproduce the original models exactly, David Chipperfield Architects approached LAUFEN. The Swiss bathroom specialist had already reproduced the eight ceramic washbasins in Mies van der Rohe's Villa Tugendhat in Brno and was happy to accept this new challenge.

"When David Chipperfield Architects approached us in 2015, it was a point of honor for us to support the restoration of this architectural and cultural monument with our expertise and our technical capabilities," says Alain Reymond, Head of Design Management at LAUFEN.

For the replica, LAUFEN was provided with one of the washbasins from the Neue National Gallery as a model. This original was scanned, converted into a 3D piece, and, after highly complex calculations, milled into two plaster blocks to obtain new mold halves. It was a challenging but rewarding project because, in order to produce a washbasin in exactly the same size and shape as the original, the calculations needed to be precise and required more than a simple cast.

Through an arduous process, the ceramic mass, called "slip", consists not only of the natural materials clay, kaolin, feldspar, and quartz sand but also contains a lot of water. When drying and firing the ceramic blanks for more than 20 hours in the tunnel kiln, this water is completely removed from the ceramic mass, which leads to "shrinkage". As a result, deformations and mass losses must be taken into account in advance. This is why computer-aided calculations and a great deal of practical experience are required to produce the molds.

Delicacy and precise manual work were also required for the glazing of the washbasins as each piece required rare colors or complex shapes. The matt glaze, which is less than a millimeter thick, was therefore applied by hand and then transformed in the kiln into a glassy layer that makes the washbasin so hygienic and protects it from damage. “The washbasins are now like the original that has passed the years without a trace. Our ceramics specialists in Gmunden did an excellent job with the reconstruction," says Alain Reymond, "visitors to the Neue National Gallery today experience the washbasins exactly as Ludwig Mies would have seen them at the building inspection."

LAUFEN’s contribution to this iconic building and its bathrooms was a great moment to work with David Chipperfield and honor the immense contributions to the design and architecture world by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. If you visit Berlin, make sure to see the Neue Gallery in person and wander back in time into the bathrooms for a touch of nostalgia.