The Manhattan Corian Sink Project
The Sterling Surfaces Manhattan sink project comprised of 80 custom thermoformed CORIAN® bathroom vanities to be installed in a luxury condominium complex in Manhattan, NYC.
Design Phase
The design was conceived by the internationally acclaimed firm of Foster + Partners. Through collaboration with a highly qualified architectural millwork partner, the team worked through design & development challenges to finalize a mass-producible design that met the strict design criteria set forth by Foster + Partners, bringing the design to life.
For example, the interior drain area went through several design configurations to achieve maximum drainage while preserving the appearance. Other design challenges included creation of the flowing CORIAN® underbelly, obscuring the plumbing while making it accesible, support, and design of the overflow.
Any 3D CORIAN® thermoformed design is enabled by the vast experience of our creative team and its 15 years of experience with 3D forming. In addition, all Sterling Shapes benefit from extensive software simulation, material testing, and custom mold design to bring the heated CORIAN® material to life. A new Sterling Shape is born!
3D Shop Drawings
Custom 3D thermoforming mold.
First run test bend.
Final step in the finishing department.
Why We Like This Sink
This refreshing new Sterling Shape is a transitional design that softens the often harsh and unforgiving lines of contemporary styling, bridging the gap from traditional to contemporary. This flexible Sterling Shape allows for the variable use of the bowl, either as a stand alone wall hung unit, or as an under-mount bowl ready for seamed-integral-under-mounting under a CORIAN® deck.
Many designers in search of innovation are experimenting with trough type sinks, which work very well with CORIAN® and other Solid Surface materials. However, these can be time consuming to make and must be executed correctly to create the right amount of internal pitch and drainage. This product, being a one piece bowl, means that fabrication costs are minimized.
The fact that this design is ADA compliant and available in many more Dupont Corian® colors than the typical 4 standard options add to the reasons why we love this new sink. This project excites everyone who sees it, even the Sterling Surfaces team, and we’ve seen a lot of shapes!
