Reimagining a Viennese Classic

The Bassena Hotels see themselves as a meeting point, as an oasis of wellbeing in the city, where people can come together and linger quite casually under the motto: “Anthing can, nothing must”. The eponymous Bassena is a Viennese particularity. The common water tap of historic tenement houses, which has become the proverbial meeting point for the house community in the city, plays a special role for the hotels named after it.

The Bassena not only inspires the concept, but as a physical object, it is an important focal point in the lobby. Based on the brand identity, which was also created by moodley, moodley industrial design was to create a modern interpretation of the traditional water basin. One that invites you to have the proverbial Bassena-chit-chat and, together with the matching glass bottle, makes drinking water an experience.

Despite the modern, stripped down design, the new Bassena is clearly recognizable. The proportions and shape of the new basin were derived from the historical original. Adapted to modern installation requirements – for example, a contemporary siphon had to fit in there – not only the classic shape is retained: The reinterpretation of the Bassena, like the originals, is made by a Viennese craft workshop using the traditional sand casting process. Since it should also serve as a filling point for the specially designed water bottle, the grid, which Iin historical models is intended for large vessels, was specially designed for that purpose. Fittingly, the design of the water bottle is also based on the new Bassena. Not only is the bottle neck made specifically wide, so that filling is even easier. The shape at the bottom and the “shoulder” of the bottle follow the arc of the basin. The body of the bottle is made from pressed glass and the ribbed surface gives it both an unmistakable look and an extraordinary feel, which should make drinking a special experience.