Hansgrohe-owned Axor has announced the winner of its 2025 Emerging Designer Competition, with the winning entry described as a “a beautifully balanced and refined concept”.
The judging panel decided that Musab Umair’s entry was 2025’s winner, praising its “sophisticated spatial planning and calming design language”. With the competition now in its third year, Axor challenged entrants to reinterpret a hotel bathroom as an escapist retreat, designing a cocoon-inspired space for relaxation and disconnection.
This year’s judging panel was comprised of Anke Sohn, head of global brand marketing for Axor; Tulu Adẹ̀kọ́, founder and creative director of Adẹ̀kọ́ Studio; Bez Amdemichael, senior designer at Goddard Littlefair; and Hamish Kilburn, journalist and owner of Kilburn Communications.
Bez Amdemichael described Umair’s design as “a beautifully balanced and refined concept with a strong sense of calm, thoughtful detailing, and a clear understanding of light, form and materiality.”
Hamish Kilburn said: “I loved how Musab challenged the conventional bathroom shape with natural curves. There is a natural flow to this design, and he has really considered how the space will be used.”
And Tulu Adẹ̀kọ́ added: “Musab’s scheme stood out for its clean, organic layout and effortless flow. The restrained palette and light use of materials supported a strong and well-resolved digital detox spa concept.”
As a prize, Umair will now receive a trip to the home of Axor in Germany’s Black Forest. This year’s prize is also a year-long pass to the Festival of Hospitality, which includes behind-the-scenes tours of newly opened hotels, industry talks, and networking opportunities with leading figures across the hospitality sector.
Although Umair was named as this year’s winner, the judges also recognised the strong standard of entries by awarding second place to Polina Bielova and third place to Dinemis Balkaroglu.
“As ever, the standard of entries for the AXOR Emerging Designer competition was extremely high, and our expert judging panel faced a real challenge selecting the eventual winner,” explained Anke Sohn.
“However, there was a clear consensus that Musab Umair’s entry fulfilled the brief with both creativity and a strong understanding of how products contribute to shaping exceptional hotel bathroom spaces. His scheme demonstrated an innovative merging of materials, colour, lighting and styling to create a cohesive and compelling design.
“I congratulate Musab, as well as Polina and Dinemis, who also submitted impressive entries. More than ever, it is important to shine a spotlight on new design talent and celebrate individual creativity. The skill and imagination demonstrated by this year’s entrants show that the future of bathroom design is in very good hands.”