Kohler x SR_A express movement of water in a maze-like installation in Milan

Kohler Co., a global pioneer in design and innovation, has reiterated its unwavering commitment to providing kitchen and bath solutions for 150 years—a resounding journey of creativity. Since its inception in 1873, the company has evolved manifold to spearhead the development of solutions addressing pressing issues such as clean water, sanitation and sustainability. At the international stage of Milan Design Week, Kohler has unveiled distinctive presentations that have made heads turn and probed thinking—The Creator’s Journey in 2023 and Divided Layers in 2022, being some examples. The 2024 edition of the highly anticipated design festival in Milan, Italy, was no different for the American brand. Alongside the design palette across its brands Kohler, Kallista, Kast and Klafs, and a collaboration with global design studio Yabu Pushelberg, the brand donned the historic Palazzo del Senato in a labyrinth of industrial semantics and Haptic Orange.

I think we should be offering more risk-bearing, radical, lucid and liberating experiences with design. – Samuel Ross

At FuoriSalone, that took place from April 16 to 21, 2024, Koher in partnership with visionary artist-designer Dr Samuel Ross MBE and his industrial design studio, SR_A, unveiled a large-scale immersive installation Terminal 02. The installation at Palazzo del Senato unfolded in tandem with the global unveiling of Formation 02, a new smart toilet, the second product design from the Kohler x SR_A multi-year partnership. On the evening of April 17, 2024, Kohler opened the doors of the historic venue, inviting people to experience the allure of the architectural manifestation of innovation and technology. "Every year there is an element of surprise that brings people looking for inspiration in the dialogue that is created,” says Michael Seum, Vice President of Global Design at Kohler. “I hope the dialogue is intense and there is passion around it. I am okay with polarising views; we need to create some tough conversations around some of the inherent topics that we are talking about here,” he adds.

The large-scale installation, enveloped within the pillars of Palazzo del Senato, took cues from the impacts of moving water. The vibrant maze of industrial pipes invited the visitors to closely witness the flow of water in different shapes and levels. The ideas of flow and control, discovery and play, came to the fore in a composition that interwove elements of the natural landscape and industrial-scale engineering. “It was more about the bigger questions surrounding the movement of water; I was thinking about Kohler’s safe delivery of water, the magnitude and volume of water moving underneath my feet daily, which we often do not take account for, but also the power that water has to be formless but also shape and erode stone and mineral,” the designer explains.

I am okay with polarising views; we need to create some tough conversations around some of the inherent topics that we are talking about here. – Michael Seum

This carefully conceived maze, and its slow exploration, led the attendees—artists, designers, professionals and creative connoisseurs—to the protagonist of the evening: Formation 02. A brutalist reimagination of Kohler’s Eir Smart Toilet, Formation 02 epitomises a striking shift in design language. The dramatic colours, edges and angles, all donned in Ross’ signature industrial haptic orange, aspired to amplify the movement and experience of water. The fundamental nature of water collided with industrial engineering to redefine the material, nature and daily rituals. The bold form of the design was in harmonious dialogue with the industrial semantics of the installation—yielding an immersive experience for all who step into the space. “I am at a place where I am thinking about what my generation of artists and designers can offer to the wider sphere of design and the arts. And I think we should be offering more risk-bearing, radical, lucid and liberating experiences with design,” says Ross.

The dialogue was not limited to the installation; it morphed into a larger conversation between the bright orange serpentine assembly and the classical architecture surrounding it. The grand columns, the linear corridors and the open sky sat in stark contrast to the art installation—an additional layer of dynamism and surprise in the design event. “It (the installation) has technology blended beautifully with the artistic idea. It has brought together the history of Kohler, the direction in which the future is going and a beautiful artistic representation of water,” shares Sonali Rastogi, Founder Partner, Morphogenesis, a guest at the event. Articulating what the installation communicates, interior architect Zarir Aibara notes, “What we see here is fascinating; it resonates with the product and the collaboration. There is a deeper meaning to what it is and why it is done.”

As the evening progressed, a shared ethos of Kohler and SR_A resounded in Palazzo del Senato. The collaborator’s constant pursuit of living on the leading edge of design and innovation—a shared value in their ethos—is reflected in their endeavour to take the stage in Milan. Experimentation, diverse inspirations and experiences, the industrial prowess of Kohler and the creative language of SR_A came together to honour the heritage of traditional craftsmanship—all the while expanding the perspectives on water, its movement and its power.

Stay tuned to STIR's coverage of Milan Design Week 2024 which showcases the best of exhibitions, studios, designers, installations, brands and events to look out for. Explore EuroCucina and all the design districts—Fuorisalone, 5vie Design Week, Isola Design Week, Brera Design District and Porta Venezia Design District.