Just weeks after launching during Melbourne Design Week, TEMBO — the bathware collaboration between apaiser and YOO Studio London — has received international recognition, taking out the Bath Fixtures category at the 2026 NYCxDESIGN Awards.
Named after the Swahili word for elephant, the collection explores ideas of strength and ritual through a series of sculptural baths and basins handcrafted in apaiserMarble®. We spoke with Claire Rizzi, Design Director at YOO Studio London, and Belinda Try, Founder and President of apaiser, about what happens when bathware is approached as part of a wider spatial experience.
Why bathware for YOO Studio’s first product collaboration?
Claire Rizzi: Bathware felt like a very natural first step for us because the bathroom is one of the most personal spaces we design, whether in a home or a hotel.
We have always been focused on how design can influence the way people feel, not only how a space looks. In the bathroom, this becomes especially intimate. It is a place of ritual, comfort and pause, so every object has a real impact on the atmosphere of the room.
With TEMBO, we wanted to create more than a functional piece of sanitaryware. We wanted the bath to anchor the space and help shape the experience around it.
The collection takes its name from the Swahili word for elephant. How did that idea shape the design?
Claire Rizzi: TEMBO began with the idea of quiet strength.
The name captured the character we were exploring: protective, grounded and calm. We were interested in the sense of presence an elephant has, powerful but gentle.
That translated into generous curves, soft volume and a stable base. The pieces are deliberately sculptural, but not aggressive. They carry weight and softness at the same time.
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How do you balance sculptural impact with the realities of daily use?
Claire Rizzi: For us, the sculptural impact could not come at the expense of comfort.
Bathing is an intimate and restorative ritual, so the form needed to feel inviting, cocooning and natural to use. We wanted the pieces to have presence, but never to feel imposing. The curves are generous, but they are also gentle.
We wanted the pieces to create a pause in the day, something calm, reassuring and effortless.
What made YOO Studio the right collaborator for apaiser?
Belinda Try: apaiser was approached by YOO Studio London, a global design house we have long admired for its visionary approach to interiors and place-making.
YOO’s forward-thinking, design-led philosophy, together with its ability to shape distinctive and emotionally resonant spaces, made the opportunity to collaborate feel both natural and compelling. For apaiser, the partnership represented a meeting of shared values: craftsmanship, innovation, sculptural form and a deep commitment to creating memorable and unique design experiences.
What role did materiality play in shaping the collection?
Claire Rizzi: Materiality played both an emotional and practical role in the collection.
Because apaiserMarble® can be cast with such softness and precision, it allowed us to create generous curves without losing a sense of refinement. It also gave us the possibility to work with warmer tones, which helped TEMBO feel more calming and less clinical than traditional bathware.
The reclaimed marble content also felt important to us. It gives the material a second life and adds a more responsible layer to the collection, without taking away from its beauty or simplicity.
What does the NYCxDESIGN recognition mean so soon after launch?
Belinda Try: Recognition at the 2026 NYCxDESIGN Awards is a powerful affirmation of apaiser’s position as an international design authority.
For TEMBO, receiving such prestigious recognition so soon after launch is an exceptional endorsement. It positions the collection as a design of immediate relevance for architects, designers and developers seeking statement pieces with both aesthetic impact and credibility.
Claire Rizzi: It means a lot to us, especially because TEMBO is our first product collaboration.
When you put something new into the world, you always hope people will understand the intention behind it. To receive this recognition so soon after launch feels very encouraging. It tells us that the collection has connected with people not only as a product, but as an idea as well.
