FIR ITALIA

A history of changing how tapware is designed

FIR Italia was founded in 1957 as Fir Rubinetterie and is based in Vaprio d’Agogna, in the province of Novara. Its history is closely connected to the development of Italian bathroom design, particularly to the moment when tapware began to be considered part of the interior rather than simply a functional component.

At the beginning of the 1970s, FIR was the first company in its sector to entrust the aesthetic development of a tap to architects and designers. It was also among the earliest manufacturers to combine traditional brass with onyx and Kematal, while introducing coloured finishes as an alternative to chrome. These choices anticipated ideas that would later become central to bathroom design: collaboration with external designers, material contrast and the coordination of tapware with the wider interior.

The same approach continued with the use of DuPont™ Corian® as part of the tap itself, not simply as a surrounding surface. Corian allowed the body and handles to relate directly to washbasins, countertops and other bathroom elements, creating a closer connection between tapware and architecture.

The company’s most important technical development is FirUnico, a universal concealed system protected by a European patent. Its five outlets include four lateral connections for shower applications and one front connection for wall mounted basin mixers. The same concealed body can therefore be used for basin, shower and thermostatic configurations across different FIR collections. This reduces the number of internal components that must be specified and gives the final design greater independence from the initial installation phase.

The finishes are brought together through The Outfit, a coordinated programme developed with FIR’s Advanced Superfinish Process technologies. More than a decorative colour chart, it allows mixers, shower elements and accessories to share the same surface treatment throughout the bathroom.

FIR Italia has repeatedly approached the tap as an object that can be redesigned, not merely restyled. Its contribution is found in the early dialogue between tapware and product design, in the introduction of unconventional materials and in a concealed system created to simplify the architecture behind the finished product.

Founded in 1957 | Italy | Headquarters: Vaprio d’Agogna, Novara

www.fir-italia.it