A Danish Design Story: VOLA | Iconic Product Design

We take a closer look at the history and craftsmanship behind Danish tapware VOLA, and how they’ve earned world-renowned status in the design community.

In the early 1960s VOLA founder Verner Overgaard approached esteemed Danish architect and furniture designer Arne Jacobsen, with a vision for revolutionary tap design. Verner had an idea to create a mixer where the mechanical parts were hidden, leaving only the handles and spout exposed. At the time this was a completely new concept, and with this basic principle in mind, the simple and concise VOLA design that we know today was conceived.

Frequenting bathrooms and kitchens on est – both locally and further abroad – we set out to delve into VOLA‘s Scandinavian ancestry and commitment to functionality and precision.

est-living-dewsbury-road-o-sullivan-architects-09

Dewsbury Road O’Sullivan Skoufoglou Architects features the 590 Kitchen Mixer in Matt Black | Photography by Rory Gardiner

VOLA are leaders in their field for their dedication to quality craftsmanship. Constructed from solid brass and gunmetal just as they were more than fifty years ago, creating the signature curve in their products takes years of expertise and training. VOLA have also introduced stainless steel to their colour range for areas with high traffic and hospitality; a testament to their constant evolution and desire to meet design demands. Proud of their Scandinavian heritage, VOLA continue to manufacture their product in Horsens, Denmark where it all began.

VOLA insists on creating products that will stand the test of time, with form and function at the core of every one of their designs. This was established with the solid green HV1 tap – the first tap design by VOLA – designed in 1968 for the National Bank of Denmark. While the HV1 tap may have given VOLA their initial breakthrough into the market, it’s their KV1 and KV15 kitchen mixer taps that have come to epitomise superior European design. Together, they have cemented themselves as icons – leading VOLA to make its appearance in MoMa gallery.

est-living-copenhagen-apartment-norm-architects-17

VOLA HV1 tap

est-living-issue-29-wyoming-home-mclean-quinlan-17

Wyoming House by McLean Quinlan features the 090FM Floor-Mounted Bath Spout and the 111M Mixer in Brushed Copper | Photography by Peter Cook and David Agnello

The entire VOLA range is available in brushed stainless steel, high polished chrome, brushed chrome, natural brass and 14 bright colours. Each tap can also be customised, be it a single or double lever, tap height and style of lever, with different mounting options to suit a specific space.

Driven by a focus on sustainability, VOLA taps are available with automatic sensors. By adding small flow regulators, the flow of the VOLA taps and mixers can easily be reduced and set individually.

est-living-frederic-kielemoes-cafeine-belgian-apartment-3

Minimalist Belgian style from Frederic Kielemoes features the 590H Kitchen Mixer and the 500T1 Kitchen Mixer in Brushed Copper | Photography by Thomas De Bruyne

Proud to showcase local Danish design, lauded practice Norm Architects consistently use VOLA in their residential projects. In our interview with lead designer Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen, he affirms this passion for authentic Nordic artisanship. “We want our designs to not only be made of high-quality materials by talented craftsmen but for them to outlive fleeting trends while still embodying beauty and history,” Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen says.

Bespoke London architects Mclaren Excell and William Smalley, Belgian architect Nicolas Schuybroek and Dutch designer Niels Maier are also just a few top-tier European names who consistently work with VOLA on their projects seen on est.

Closer to home, Australian designers are no stranger to VOLA’s eminent fixtures. Melbourne design studio Biasol’s Casa Atrio project reveals VOLA’s white tapware as a jewel in both the bathroom and kitchen. Sydney-based Studio Prineas also demonstrates their passion for VOLA brass tapware as a striking statement within their apartment projects.

VOLA has earned a global reputation by not straying from their dedication to originality, materiality and craftsmanship for the past 50 years. Their distinctly Danish approach to design shows no slowing down either, as they continue to lead the way in tapware design.

See the est VOLA favourites here.