After Robert A.M. Stern Architects selected KALLISTA products for commercial projects, the two organizations opened discussions about collaborating on a collection that would have universal appeal and be unique to what is currently available in the market by blurring the lines between traditional and transitional design choices.  "Specifying quantities of KALLISTA product in some of our large-scale apartment buildings formed the impetus for the collaboration between KALLISTA and Robert A.M. Stern Architects," said Daniel Lobitz, a Partner at Robert A.M. Stern Architects who helps lead the firm's product design initiatives.  "Central Park West expresses our firm's modern classical aesthetic, matching the highest-end of the market in look, feel, and quality, but makes it more accessible to a broader audience.  We distilled details from historical precedents to establish a distinctive modern yet traditional character. We studied plumbing fixtures from the early 20^th century and adapted them to give the Central Park West Collection some of its signature notes: the knurling, for example, on the handles, supports, and spouts; and of course the monogram-style lettering, perhaps the most explicitly retro part of our design."

Central Park West is a comprehensive bathroom collection with multiple sink and bath faucets, a full range of showering components, and complementing accessories; and, designed specifically for Central Park West and a new category for KALLISTA, a shower door handle pull, towel bar, and handle escutcheon.  The collection also combines beautifully with other KALLISTA designs to create a one-of-a-kind personal oasis or provide a full product portfolio for almost endless options when specifying large- scale hospitality bathroom installations.

"The collection feels timeless and sophisticated; we aimed to give it broad appeal," said Alexander P. Lamis, another Partner at Robert A.M. Stern Architects who leads the firm's product design initiatives.  "The fluted tooling adds sparkle to the detailing that feels very bespoke and luxurious; we gave a lot of thought to the way the hand would sense the texture.  We like its taut economy of means and its scale; unlike some other fixtures that aspire to be traditional, our collection is not overwrought or clunky.  From the perspective of the specifier, we think the price-point will make the Central Park West Collection an easy, go-to selection for a multitude of applications."

Centerstage in the Central Park West collection are a series of faucets that resonate with the collection's distinctive design details and the air of handcraft that seems to harken back to the elegance and glamour of an earlier era.  Appropriately scaled with an understated fluidity of line, the sink faucets boast four design choices – a stylized, elongated U-shaped design with low- and tall-spout heights, a graceful gooseneck, and a sleek wall-mount style.  The faucet nozzle is slightly oversized and decorated with a simple fluting.  Gently rounded, partially fluted lever handles create an illusionary effect by appearing to pass through the supports, which are appointed with a fluted ring before carrying down to the stepped base.  An engraved "H" and "C" centered on the front of each bonnet complete the artisan touches.

"We put a lot of care and effort into the way the faucets sit on the sink—we developed many studies of the transitions and proportions until we got them just right," continued Lobitz.  "The serif font we chose for the faucet markings derives from hand-chiseled lettering on classical monuments dating back to antiquity; it has over many centuries come to signify the timeless connection between the past and the present. We designed the handle so that it appears to slide through the support, like a hand-crafted assembly. The fluting or knurling on the handles is reprised on the support and again at the spout, creating a pulled-together look that unifies the many elements of the collection."

KALLISTA faucets are crafted from solid brass ensuring its continued performance for years to come.  Fitted with the Soft Touch drain, one of KALLISTA's signature products, the faucets have a 1.2 gal/min maximum flow rate and feature quarter-turn washerless ceramic disc valves.  All faucets meet the CalGreen requirements for basin faucets and among a series of other certifications are EPA WaterSense_® listed.

The classic design references, engraved fluting and stepped details found on the sink and bath faucets, are employed throughout the collection making Central Park West a distinctive new option to its traditional category.  Beyond the faucets, Central Park West features a freestanding, a deck-mount and wall-mount bath faucets; a showerhead; pressure balance and thermostatic trim sets; 18-inch and 24-inch towel bars, and a towel ring, a tissue holder, a bath hook, a 6-inch shower door handle pull, 18-inch shower door towel bar, and shower door handle escutcheon. Completing the choices are a range of KALLISTA finishes including Polished Chrome and Unlacquered Brass, and our new PVD assortment that includes Polished Nickel and Brushed Bronze.

"We envision the Central Park West Collection in a wide range of projects," concluded Lamis.  "The collection will feel at home in a traditional bathroom, but can also contribute a comfortable, transitional character to a more modern room.  KALLISTA also offers a great assortment of finishes that can be deployed to vary the effect between contemporary and traditional."