“Sacred spaces can be created in any environment.”
Berlin-based designer Tal Engel draws influence from traditional Asian boat building techniques, known as Otaku, to create a conceptual bathtub which represents the relationship between sailing and bathing.
As with all good design, the Woven Bathtub challenges the conventions of form, function and style. The design of the bath creates a paradoxical analogy, where the ‘inside-out’ theory emerges; where periodically, the concept of a bathtub is completely different to that of a sailing boat. Thus, presenting the ‘inside out theory’, whereby the outside of the boat becomes the inside of the bath.
The Woven Bathtub signifies Engel’s unique design philosophy that his objects, interiors and furniture are unique platforms to display his ideas – which eventually impact on people’s way of living or how they perceive life. Which is exactly what the bathtub represents, as the design draws upon a special relationship between our body and water.
Originally presented at the IMM Cologne 2016, Engel’s ‘Okatu’ bathtub is made from a pressed woven veneer sheet and steel frame. With the coated surface of the materials providing water resistance and the strength to withstand heavy weights.
