Roca The Gap Complete Toilet | Horizontal Outlet

Roca The Gap Complete Toilet — Horizontal Outlet | Bowl + Cistern + Lid + Seat | Supralit® Antibacterial Seat | 3/4.5L Dual Flush | 3-Year Warranty

The Classic The Gap: When Curved Design and Functional Engineering Meet in a Complete Set

Bathroom sanitaryware design follows two broad traditions that reflect different interior philosophies. The angular, rectilinear vocabulary that has dominated contemporary bathroom design in recent years expresses an architectural sensibility — bathrooms conceived as volumetric compositions of flat planes and right angles. The original Roca The Gap collection responds to a different but equally established design tradition: the organic-modern bathroom, where the sanitaryware introduces subtle curvature and softer transitions against the harder geometry of tiles, fittings, and architecture.

The Roca The Gap Complete Toilet with Horizontal Outlet is the expression of this design tradition in a complete, ready-to-install toilet set. Its curved bowl geometry and the visual dialogue between a traditionally-proportioned cistern and a modern bowl and lid create what Roca describes as a fusion of styles — a toilet that does not ask the bathroom to commit entirely to one design language, but instead bridges the classic and the contemporary. Combined with a Supralit® antibacterial seat, a 3/4.5L dual-flush cistern, and stainless steel hinges, it delivers both design flexibility and the engineering quality associated with a manufacturer of Roca's standing.

Available at MerkiMarket with fast delivery to France and Belgium, from €389.83.

Product Specifications

The Gap Design: A Fusion of Styles Explained

The design identity of the Roca The Gap collection sits in a carefully resolved middle ground. The bowl's profile is not the sharp-edged, flat-planed geometry of the SQUARE variant; nor is it the purely elliptical or fully rounded form of older sanitaryware design. It is an organic-modern form — smooth transitions, softened angles, a silhouette that is recognisably contemporary without committing to the hard-edged geometry that defines the SQUARE line.

The "Fusion of Styles" Principle

Roca describes the The Gap complete toilet as a fusion of styles — a cistern that draws on the proportional traditions of classic, low-profile sanitaryware design, paired with a bowl and lid that express a more contemporary formal language. This combination is intentional: it makes the toilet legible and familiar from a classical perspective (the cistern's proportions read as established and trusted) while the bowl and seat profile signal modernity and design awareness.

This design approach serves a specific bathroom context: the renovation of an established domestic interior where the existing architecture, finishes, and fixtures are not uniformly contemporary, and where a toilet with an extreme SQUARE geometry would create a jarring contrast. In a bathroom with period-appropriate tiles, a classic vanity unit, or a traditional freestanding bath, the The Gap's fusion aesthetic integrates more naturally than a strictly geometric alternative.

It also serves buyers who simply prefer the organic warmth of curved sanitaryware over the cooler, more austere quality of angular design — a preference that remains widely held among homeowners across France and Belgium's diverse housing stock.

Comparing The Gap and The Gap SQUARE

MerkiMarket offers both the Roca The Gap (this model) and the Roca The Gap SQUARE. The decision between them is primarily a design one:

• Choose The Gap (this model) if your bathroom has a mixed-style character, if you prefer the softer curves of organic-modern design, or if you are replacing an existing rounded bowl and want to maintain visual continuity with the room's established language.

• Choose The Gap SQUARE if your bathroom is defined by rectilinear tile layouts, angular cabinetry, and a strictly contemporary aesthetic where geometric consistency across all elements is a design priority.

Both models share the Supralit® seat material and the dual-flush cistern system. The differences are in bowl geometry, outlet configuration (the SQUARE offers dual horizontal/vertical outlet; this model offers horizontal only), and Rimless technology (the SQUARE is Rimless; this model uses a drag discharge system).

The Horizontal Outlet: Understanding What It Means and When It Applies

The horizontal outlet is the method by which wastewater exits the toilet bowl and enters the building's drainage system. In a horizontal outlet toilet, the drain connection exits through the wall — the soil pipe is embedded in or behind the wall surface, and the toilet connects to it horizontally at a specified height from the finished floor.

When a Horizontal Outlet Toilet Is Required

The horizontal outlet configuration is appropriate in two main installation contexts:

1. Where the soil pipe exits through the wall, either as designed in new-build construction or as a fixed condition in renovation. In much of Northern European domestic construction — including many residential properties in France and Belgium — the wall outlet is the standard configuration. The Gap with horizontal outlet is directly compatible with this infrastructure without any adapter or modification.

2. Where a wall outlet is preferred for aesthetic or spatial reasons. A wall-outlet connection can be fully concealed behind the toilet, keeping the floor plane clean and uninterrupted. This can be a design preference in renovation contexts where a minimal, uncluttered floor is a priority.

Important Consideration for Buyers: Outlet Compatibility

The Gap horizontal outlet model has a single outlet orientation — it connects exclusively to a horizontal (wall) drain. This is a meaningful distinction from the The Gap SQUARE Compact and The Gap SQUARE models, which feature dual outlet bowls compatible with both horizontal (wall) and vertical (floor) drains.

Before purchasing this model, confirm that your bathroom's soil pipe exits through the wall at a height compatible with the bowl's outlet geometry. If your drain exits through the floor, you will need the equivalent vertical-outlet model or the dual-outlet SQUARE variant. Your plumber can confirm the drain configuration and compatibility with a brief site survey.

Drag Discharge System: Efficient, Splash-Free Evacuation

The Gap horizontal outlet toilet uses a drag discharge system — a flush mechanism engineered to move waste efficiently through the bowl and into the outlet with minimal turbulence and no splash. The system is designed to:

• Maximise hydraulic efficiency at the dual-flush volumes of 3 and 4.5 litres, ensuring effective waste evacuation without requiring higher water volumes.

• Eliminate splash — the controlled flow dynamics of the drag discharge system move water and waste cleanly through the bowl without the upward spray that can occur in systems with less refined hydraulic geometry.

• Ensure complete bowl coverage — the flush flow pattern is engineered to rinse the full interior bowl surface at each flush, supporting cleanliness between manual cleaning cycles.

Drag Discharge vs. Rimless: An Honest Comparison

The drag discharge system is distinct from Rimless technology. In a Rimless toilet (as found in The Gap SQUARE models), the traditional inner rim channel is entirely eliminated and replaced by a precision-engineered internal distributor. In this Gap model, the bowl retains its inner geometry but uses a refined hydraulic design to achieve effective, splash-free flushing.

For most domestic applications, the drag discharge system performs well and is fully adequate for normal household use. The difference becomes more significant from a hygiene perspective: the inner rim of a conventional bowl, even a refined one, creates surfaces that are partially inaccessible to standard cleaning implements. The Rimless design eliminates this accessibility problem entirely. Buyers with a strong preference for maximising cleaning access should consider the Gap SQUARE Rimless models; buyers whose priority is the Gap's curved design aesthetic and horizontal-outlet configuration will find the drag discharge system entirely satisfactory in normal use conditions.

Supralit® Antibacterial Seat: Material Quality at the Most-Used Surface

The seat and lid of the The Gap horizontal outlet toilet are manufactured from Supralit® — Roca's proprietary antibacterial thermoplastic that distinguishes premium Roca seats from standard polypropylene (PP) options.

What Makes Supralit® Different

Supralit® is a thermoset duroplastic resin with performance characteristics that exceed standard PP across every relevant dimension for a toilet seat application:

• Intrinsic antibacterial protection: The antibacterial additive is incorporated throughout the material thickness during manufacturing — not applied as a surface coating. Surface-applied antibacterial treatments degrade with use and cleaning; Supralit®'s protection is permanent and cannot be worn away regardless of cleaning frequency or the strength of products used.

• Superior surface hardness: Supralit® is significantly harder than polypropylene, resisting the micro-abrasion from daily use and cleaning that causes PP seats to develop a dull, slightly rough surface texture over years of normal use. A Supralit® seat maintains its smooth surface quality for the full operational life of the toilet.

• Chemical resistance: Supralit® tolerates bleach-based cleaners, disinfectants, and professional-grade antibacterial agents without yellowing, softening, or surface damage. PP seats in regular contact with strong cleaning agents show visible degradation within a few years.

• Dimensional stability: Lower thermal expansion than PP ensures the seat maintains its fit to the bowl across the temperature range encountered in a domestic bathroom. PP seats can develop looseness in the hinge fitting over time due to the cumulative effect of thermal cycling; Supralit® maintains dimensional consistency throughout.

Stainless Steel Hinges: Protecting the Investment

The seat is fitted with stainless steel hinges — corrosion-proof in the wet, chemically active bathroom environment and mechanically rated for thousands of open-close cycles without fatigue failure. The combination of Supralit® seat material and stainless steel hinges ensures the most-used mechanical component of the toilet is built to a longevity standard consistent with the porcelain bowl.

Seat Options: Standard vs. Soft-Close

The complete set is available in two closing configurations:

• Standard seat and lid (SKU A80147000B): Closes manually under its own weight. Fully appropriate for domestic use and the more economical choice, from €389.83. No moving parts to wear or service.

• Soft-close seat and lid with shock absorber (SKU A80147200B): A hydraulic damper in the hinge mechanism slows the seat and lid's descent from vertical, preventing slam contact with the bowl rim. At from €433.02, this is the preferred configuration for households with young children, shared bathrooms, or any context where the acoustic impact of a closing seat at night matters. The soft-close mechanism also extends the operational life of both the seat and the bowl rim by eliminating the cumulative impact stress of thousands of closings over the product's lifetime.

Dual-Flush Cistern: 3L / 4.5L Water Efficiency

The Gap's cistern operates a dual-flush system offering 3 litres for liquid waste and 4.5 litres for solid waste — a specification that delivers meaningful water consumption reduction compared to older single-flush toilet designs.

A household of four using five flush cycles per person per day, with approximately 75% as reduced flushes and 25% as full flushes, will consume approximately 30–33 litres of water per day in toilet flushing. An equivalent 9-litre single-flush toilet in the same household consumes 180 litres per day — a difference of approximately 54,000 litres per year. At current metered water costs in France and Belgium, this represents a measurable annual household saving alongside the reduction in environmental water footprint.

Two Cistern Inlet Options

The cistern is available in two supply configurations, both sold at the same price point:

• Bottom inlet (SKU A341470000): Water supply connects at the base of the cistern. This is the standard configuration for modern bathroom plumbing and the most common choice in new-build and recent renovation contexts. The bottom inlet keeps supply connections fully concealed below the cistern body, producing a clean visual result with no pipe visible at the side of the cistern.

• Side inlet (SKU A341471000): Water supply connects at the side of the cistern, with the unused bottom outlet covered by a trim piece for a finished appearance. This configuration accommodates properties where the existing supply pipework exits the wall at a height naturally aligned with a side cistern connection — common in older residential properties where rerouting the supply to a bottom-inlet position would add unnecessary installation cost or require structural intervention.

Both configurations are offered at the same price. The choice is made at purchase based on the bathroom's existing plumbing configuration, confirmed by the installing plumber.

Installation Overview

The Gap horizontal outlet toilet is a floor-standing fixture. Installation involves three primary connection points:

• Bowl to drain: The horizontal outlet connects to the wall-mounted soil pipe at the appropriate outlet height. The bowl is secured to the floor with the supplied fixing kit; trim pieces cover the floor-level fixings for a clean, finished appearance.

• Cistern to bowl: The low cistern mounts on the rear shelf of the bowl. The cistern-to-bowl connection is sealed via the flush valve and the cistern-to-bowl gasket. The dual push-button flush actuator is fitted to the cistern's front face.

• Water supply to cistern: The supply flexible hose connects to the chosen inlet (bottom or side). Isolate the water supply before beginning. Apply PTFE tape to the inlet thread and verify for leaks at operating pressure before completing the installation.

⚠️ Installation must be performed by a qualified plumber in compliance with applicable building and plumbing regulations. In multi-occupancy buildings, verify the drain connection is compatible with the building's stack system before beginning. Confirm that the existing soil pipe exits through the wall (horizontal connection) before purchasing this model — this toilet is not compatible with floor (vertical) drain configurations.

Note: Hinge components may differ slightly from product images due to manufacturing updates. Refer to the exploded diagram included with the product for the definitive installation reference.

The Gap Collection: Design Coordination Options

The The Gap toilet does not exist as an isolated product — it is part of a comprehensive Roca bathroom collection that includes matching wash basins, countertop basins, and accessory lines in the same design language. While The Gap SQUARE collection applies strict square geometry across all product categories, the standard The Gap collection maintains the softer, organic-modern profile across its full range of sanitaryware.

For a bathroom renovation seeking design coherence — where the toilet, basin, and associated accessories share a unified visual character — specifying within The Gap collection across all categories will produce a more resolved result than mixing products from different series. Roca's collection architecture is designed to make cross-product coordination straightforward.

Roca: Over a Century of Bathroom Engineering

Roca has been manufacturing bathroom products since 1917, growing into one of the world's largest sanitaryware manufacturers with a presence in over 130 countries and a workforce of nearly 24,000 people. The The Gap's quality credentials derive directly from this heritage:

• Vitreous porcelain quality: Roca's firing and glazing processes produce porcelain with the surface density, gloss retention, and stain resistance that distinguishes products engineered for decades of daily use from those optimised for short market cycles. The glossy white finish of the The Gap bowl is rated to maintain its appearance under repeated professional-level cleaning.

• Hydraulic engineering: The drag discharge system's performance characteristics — effective evacuation at 3 and 4.5 litres, elimination of splash — reflect Roca's proprietary flush dynamics engineering rather than purchased generic components.

• Warranty support: The 3-year warranty is backed by a global manufacturer with the infrastructure and track record to honour it.

Summary: Is the Roca The Gap Horizontal Outlet Toilet the Right Choice?

The Roca The Gap Complete Toilet with Horizontal Outlet is the right choice if you need:

✅ Classic The Gap curved design — organic-modern bowl geometry with a fusion-of-styles aesthetic that integrates naturally in mixed-style bathrooms and renovation contexts
✅ Horizontal (wall) outlet — direct connection to wall-mounted soil pipe, standard in much of French and Belgian residential construction
✅ Drag discharge system — engineered for efficient, splash-free waste evacuation at dual-flush volumes
✅ Supralit® antibacterial seat — superior to standard PP in antibacterial protection, surface hardness, chemical resistance, and long-term finish retention
✅ Stainless steel hinges — corrosion-proof and rated for the full operational life of the toilet
✅ Dual-flush cistern (3L / 4.5L) — significant water savings versus older single-flush designs
✅ Two cistern inlet options — bottom or side, to match existing supply plumbing without rerouting
✅ Two seat configurations — standard lid (from €389.83) or soft-close with shock absorber (from €433.02)
✅ 3-year warranty from Roca, backed by a globally established manufacturer with over 100 years of bathroom product experience
✅ Part of the Roca The Gap collection — coordinated with matching basins, accessories, and sanitaryware lines for complete bathroom design coherence

💡 Before you buy: Confirm that your bathroom's drain exits through the wall (horizontal connection) before ordering this model. If your drain exits through the floor, consider the Roca The Gap SQUARE models, which feature dual outlet bowls compatible with both wall and floor drain configurations.

Product Classification

The Roca The Gap (A342477000 + A341470000/A341471000 + A80147000B/A80147200B) is classified as a floor-standing horizontal outlet toilet — white vitreous porcelain, glossy finish, low cistern with 3/4.5L dual flush, Supralit® antibacterial seat with stainless steel hinges, complete set. Dimensions: 36.5 × 65 × 79 cm. Backed by a 3-year manufacturer's warranty. Available at MerkiMarket.

References

• SKU (bowl): A342477000

• SKU (cistern, bottom inlet): A341470000

• SKU (cistern, side inlet): A341471000

• SKU (standard seat): A80147000B

• SKU (soft-close seat): A80147200B

• GTIN: 8414329148923

• Brand: Roca