Attitude

Ezio Cristina begins his entrepreneurial activity in Gozzano, founding the company CRISTINA & GALLIANO with a partner. These are the years of economic recovery during which the company goes from being a subcontractor - therefore a supplier of semi-finished products - to a full-fledged producer.

Still in production today, 1965 saw the launch of the Impero series with its trademark cross-shaped handles, a timeless and elegant silhouette.

In 1968, it is among the first Italian companies to produce the thermostatic mixer. Thanks to a thermosensitive heart, the mixer “automatically” regulates the water temperature and keeps it constant.

CRISTINA Rubinetterie launches the Impero and Balilla lines in new colourful finishes, both finding great success.

CRISTINA Rubinetterie buys SILFRA in 1982, a company that produces bathtub draining columns. Talks around the ”Cristina Group” begin.

Since 1984, for the whole decade, the explosion of colour. The company invested in the varnishing department, with a colour palette counting 100 finishes, and became the reference point of the coloured product.

CRISTINA Rubinetterie develops and commissions the production of cartridges for single lever mixers in 1994. This allows them to rationalise their offer and retain maximum control over the quality.

The company recognise the importance of establishing collaborations with architects and designers in order to widen the aesthetic of their tapware. Consequently, Compass was born, designed by architect Massimo Farinatti.

The new millennium marks the beginning of a fruitful collaboration with internationally renowned designer Makio Hasuike. A new CRISTINA Rubinetterie logo and Esempio, a single lever mixer with a futuristic line, make their debut.

Up & Down, the washbasin drains line, patented and produced by SILFRA, appeared in 2002. It was revolutionary, with the water opening and closing completely released from the tap control with just light pressure on the cap.

A new division dedicated to stainless steel emerges, CRISTINA INOX dedicated to the study and application of a material that’s both eco-sustainable and extremely versatile in the production of bathroom and kitchen taps and fittings.

SILFRA continues to grow, becoming one of the leaders in the Italian sector. In addition to the production of bath waste columns, timed and electronic taps and fittings are added and the brand becomes a strategic supplier for many Italian companies in the market.

In 2006, the merger of CRISTINA Rubinetterie SPA, SILFRA SPA and GODIO SPA (taps and fittings acquired in 2001) gives birth to CRS SPA, a group that, by combining various skill sets, aims to increase synergy and overall strength.

The organisation’s continued evolution called for the development of its production facilities. The Gozzano plant in Via Don Minzoni was expanded in 2007, creating a structure of over 2000sqm which would host a fully automated warehouse.

In 2008, the new ultra-thin Sandwich showerhead launched. Patented by CRISTINA Rubinetterie, it leads the way on every front, from its design to its eco-friendly credentials.

Renovated by architect Naomi Hasuike of studio Makio Hasuike & Co., the company’s historic nineteenth-century Gozzano HQ is completely renewed, becoming the group’s real headquarters.

King and Queen by MC2 architetti associate are launched, two lines of taps and fittings that can be chosen separately or coupled to create a uniform ambience.

Created in partnership with studio Makio Hasuike, the Rubinetto line offers absolute simplicity and precision, inspired by the comma, neat and clear. 

Same design, different materials: Unic, made of brass and Unix, in brushed stainless steel, gave life to a single product characterised by the linearity of its shape.

With the aim of fostering dialogue with designers and strengthening brand awareness, the company opens its first showroom in Milan: four windows on the historic Via Pontaccio, located in the heart of the Brera design district.

The Italy series launches in 2017, combining industrial production with craftsmanship, representing, in a single collection, the excellence of Made in Italy. The series, envisioned by Busetti Garuti Redaelli designers, offers a range of finishes with the option to combine the tap body with marble or stone knobs.

The company announces the acquisition by the Caleffi Group, a leading Made in Italy manufacturer of components for heating, air conditioning and plumbing systems. An important operation, aimed at guaranteeing an absolute continuity for the brand and its ceaseless growth at an international level.

Two silhouettes are introduced in 2018: Quari S created by CRISTINA Design Lab and Profilo, design by Giampiero Castagnoli. The first a softening of the square, the second, versatile and suitable for any environment.

The thermostatic mixer was created to meet the precise needs of a public increasingly interested in functionality, environmental values and energy saving. Designed in collaboration with studio Makio Hasuike & Co., Thermo Up is a high-quality product combining design with comfort of use.

Tabula, the new collection by angelettiruzza design, debuts in 2019. A squared body, outlined by a clear and strong profile, it is an exercise in stylistic subtraction, every superfluous element eliminated, focus placed on the pure essence of form.

Rebranding. A fresh chapter, the company presents its new identity, the culmination of intense artistic and creative work across multiple levels of the organisation. New graphics and content outline an even more cohesive identity, expressing a desire to be immediately recognised as a key player in the sector, both within Italy and across the sixty countries in which CRISTINA is present.

2020 welcomes East Side by angelettiruzza design, echoing the industrial atmosphere of loft living favoured by multidisciplinary artists and creatives across the globe. The collection is characterised by knurling and a range of finishes.

Cross Road by CRISTINA Design Lab also launches in 2020. Ancient forms revisited in a modern key: the traditional tap re-invented for the lifestyles of today and tomorrow.

East side angelettiruzza design won the prestigious German Design Award 2022 in the Bath & Wellness category with the special mention for ”Excellent Product Design”. The series, in the same year, was also awarded the Archiproducts Design Awards 2021 and BIGSEE Product Design Award 2021 as Grand Prix Winner.

The increasing sensitivity to environmental issues and attention to the world in which we live, have led the company to implement improvements in terms of environment and sustainability, born the initiative From Yellow to...Green!

Foil, designed by Marco Pisati is inspired by the shape of the new generation of sailboat appendages, capable of sailing raised on water. In the same year of its launch, the series won the Archiproducts Design Awards, with a special mention for sustainability.

Opens the first exhibition space abroad made in collaboration with the partner company TECHNOLOGY ITALIAN SERVICES s.r.o. The showroom of about 50 square meters is located in the Czech Republic in the heart of Prague, the space is intended for the public but also for professionals and offers a wide range of products.

Designed by the Elisa Ossino Studio for CRISTINA Rubinetterie, the Milan flagship store of via Pontaccio features an experiential approach to the discovery of new waterways.

INOX PVD Finishings. For the first time during CRISTINA Rubinetterie’s production history, we introduced the PVD treatment (Physical Vapour Depositation) until now used only for different metal versions. Besides the brushed Aisi stainless steel, the series is available in brushed pink gold PVD, brushed black chrome PVD and brushed brass gold PVD.