 Dallas
� December 19, 2005 �VingCard has partnered with the following renowned
designers through the famous Italian handle crafter Valli&Valli: Norman
Foster and Partners, Yoshimi Kono, Gustav Peichl, Antonio Citterio, Gregotti
Associati, Richard Meier, Sottsass Associati, Taller Design Ricardo Bofill
and Piano Design Workshop. This exclusive line of �Designers� Collection�
door handles for its new Signature by VingCard electronic lock provides
a true point of differentiation for any hotel looking to blend security
technology/hardware with the hotel environment.
�At VingCard Elsafe we really listen to our customers needs and do extensive research on what the market demands in order to continually develop new products and services that provide the ultimate in global security solutions for hospitality,� said Pascal Metivier, President of ASSA ABLOY Hospitality (the parent company for VingCard Elsafe) for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. �Until now, the choice of handles available for electronic locks in general was very limited and did not help in blending the electronic lock with the hotel environment. �Though our �We Listen� customer-service initiative, which launched in fourth quarter 2004, we discovered from designers, architects and hoteliers that they wanted to see more versatility in our lock designs,� he said. �They told us that they wanted an electronic lock in which the door hardware did not detract from the aesthetics of the corridor � and that specifically included the door handles. Signature by VingCard not only features our widely recognizable line of existing door handles, but we have a complete catalog of optional Designers� Collection handles available for those looking to �Stand Out by Blending In.�� According to Metivier, the Designers Collection was developed for hotels that require the ambience of exclusivity and luxury. �Throughout our �We Listen� program, hotel customers told us that the door is the first impression of the guestroom,� Metivier said. �The first impression made by our current design of electronic locks, they said, could be improved upon. Likewise, architects and interior designers told us that they wanted to have the flexibility to play with the variety of handles. But adding new handles to our current electronic lock design wasn�t enough.
Getting a Handle on Design Carlo Edoardo Valli, owner of the world renowned Italian door handle design company, said that over the past 10 years hoteliers, designers and architects have been asking manufacturers for design alternatives for furnishings and fixtures outside the typical commodity items. �Style needs to be in every detail of the hotel,� Valli said. �One of the first things that a guest touches when he or she walks into any room or building is a door handle. As the leader in door handle design worldwide, Valli & Valli takes style very seriously. When you touch one of our door handles, it gives you a very good feeling. A lot of effort is put into making our handles literally fit into your hand. Whether on a conscious or subconscious level, when you grasp our handles you say to yourself: �Wow this is really different.�� VingCard�s new Designers� Collection� features handles were created by some of the most renowned designers for Fusital, the top brand of Valli & Valli. Gustav Peichl, a designer of one of the handles featured in the Signature Designers� Collection, said: �Anyone who goes inside a building, either to live or to visit it, is influenced by the shapes, the materials and the colors. This happens also for door handles and window pulls. A handle must operate smoothly, must have a pleasing appearance and especially must have tactile qualities when it is touched. Each handle must radiate sensuality by sight and by touch.� The door handle created for Signature by Sottsass Associati provides essential simplicity, and makes a clear and strong statement in the door design. Sottsass Associati said its door handles respect ergonomics, but at the same time bring to an interior a design element that is immediately recognizable. �Our [handle] goes in the direction of accentuating to the utmost the essentials of design and supplying to architects and interior designers a product with strong characteristic features, which is substantially unique in its kind,� a Sottsass Associati representative said. According to Metivier, through the �We Listen� customer-service initiative, VingCard also discovered that designers, architects and hoteliers wanted to enjoy design continuity throughout the hotel in regard to handle options. �The new optional Designers� Collection series are also ideal for bathroom doors, passage doors and other access areas of the property,� he said. About VingCard Elsafe
About Valli & Valli Valli & Valli was founded in 1934 and remains a Valli family business. The company prides itself on its functional yet distinctive designs, uncompromising craftsmanship and quality production. Its products are manufactured near Milan, and are distributed in more than 70 nations. Valli&Valli has its own commercial branches in Germany, Belgium, England, Ireland and the United States. More information about Valli & Valli is available at www.vallievalli.com. |
�VingCard
needed to take a new, minimalist approach to the amount of hardware that
was visible on the outside of the door,� he said. �The door handle needed
to become the focal point on the door, and not the card reader. As we began
to design two attractive yet compact and standalone bezel card readers,
(Signature Trend for contemporary designs and Signature Décor for
more traditional styles), we thought of only one company capable of designing
an optional line of Designers� Collection door handles for Signature �
Italy�s Valli & Valli.�
