Verner Overgaard had already worked out the mechanics of a new type of a built-in mixer tap hiding all parts behind a wallplate, leaving only handles and spout exposed. Taking this principle Jacobsen started sketching and designed one simple round knob with a small peg. The monoknob enabled single handed use. The prototype VOLA 111 spurred the creation of a comprehensive program of wall- and top mounted fixtures for both the kitchen and bathroom. Following Jacobsen’s death in 1971, his basic vocabulary of circular elements on a simple grid of measurements allowed VOLA to keep developing new designs until today. In 1968 when VOLA HV1 taps were introduced to the consumers market, the series offered eight expressive colors. Seems kinda cool now, but what a novelty it was in the seventies! Colorful taps were spot on for the poppy trends of the seventies. 

Since it’s invention Jacobsen’s elementary design has offered generations of interior architects and users endless variations of models and colors. Today the range counts sixteen colors. The taps last a lifetime and (even better in terms of footprint) can be refurbished at the factory. 

During the sixties Arne Jacobsen (1902-’71) renewed Danish architecture and design by infusing functionalism and industrial design. Famous highlights like the SAS Hotel and the National Bank, both located in Copenhagen, rank among the most important postwar monuments in Denmark. And almost everybody knows his Ant- and Swan- Chairs.

The Danish are quite conscious of nature and water plays a major role in everyday life. Visiting the headquarters and production facilities in Horsens, the care for the environment is tangibly at high standard. The lean and stylish architecture of the main building reflects the minimalist design of VOLA products. Landscaping envelopes and blends the architecture into the natural environment of Horsens Fjord. The manufacturing of taps, using the highest quality brass and steel components, is sustainable as possible and procedures keep innovating all the time. Water is the pure essence VOLA seeks to preserve.

Previously published in WOTH no.17