Kohler x SR_A Announce Limited-Edition Smart Toilet ‘Formation 02’ and Installation for FuoriSalone during Milan Design Week 2024
KOHLER, Wis. – March 5, 2024 – Kohler, a global lifestyle brand and leader in kitchen and bath products, returns to Milan Design Week with the world premiere of a large scale immersive installation in partnership with artist-designer, Dr. Samuel Ross MBE and his industrial design studio, SR_A, along with the global unveiling of Formation 02, a new smart toilet, the second product from the Kohler x SR_A multiyear partnership.
Formation 02 is a limited-edition smart toilet available through sra.kohler.com starting on April 16.
“Formation 02 furthers our celebrated partnership with SR_A and Dr. Samuel Ross, bringing new and unexpected design and exemplifying Kohler’s history of design and innovation excellence,” says Scott Edmunds, VP of Kohler Marketing. “Formation 02 combines our industrial expertise and technological prowess with our strong belief in the power of creativity to challenge and drive forward progress.”
DESIGN
Drawing inspiration from the velocity and power of water in nature, Formation 02 represents a departure in design language in this brutalist silhouette. Utilizing unique molding and tooling techniques, the toilet’s base features dramatic colors, edges, and angles, juxtaposed with the softness of integrated cylindrical shapes.
It is through this new design, alongside the Formation 01 faucet, that Ross intends to amplify the movement and experience of water offering a place of reconsideration among daily objects and rituals.
On the design, Samuel Ross says, “We continue to look to nature's power and the defining feats of industrial engineering. Be it through the unique embellishments of water character, or through nature's force to reshape the material. Within Formation 02, you will be reminded of the journey water must embark upon.”
TECHNOLOGY & COLOR
Formation 02 exemplifies innovation in the smart toilet category while introducing a new design silhouette on Kohler’s Eir Smart Toilet. With convenient features including a heated seat, customizable cleansing, nightlight, hands-free opening/closing, automatic flush, plus a touchscreen remote, Formation 02 epitomizes innovation and comfort.
The industrial Haptic Orange hue pays homage to Kohler’s 1967 debut of “Tiger Lily” in its bathroom line, blending Ross’s signature color with Kohler’s legacy of color leadership. Formation 02 is the second product drop for the partnership, continuing to embrace Ross’ avant-garde artistic approach while honoring Kohler’s 150 years of developing a new design language for water solutions.
FUORISALONE INSTALLATION
Formation 02 will be unveiled at FuoriSalone through a large-scale site-specific installation titled Terminal 02, hosted at Palazzo del Senato (Via Senato 10) daily from 12:00pm to 10:00pm from Tuesday, April 16 through Sunday, April 21.
Terminal 02 will invite visitors to journey through a maze-like network of industrial pipes that lead to the Formation 02 toilet. This immersive experience will allow visitors to witness the flow of water in different shapes and levels, ideas of flow and control, alongside discovery and play will be brought together through an aesthetic that utilizes elements of natural landscape juxtaposed with industrial and scale engineering. The industrial, brutalist products and installation sit within the grand pillars of the historic Palazzo del Senato reflecting its classical architectural elements and the sky above. Honoring the heritage of traditional craftsmanship as well as pushing into new territories to change our perspective on the essential element of water the installation will embody the shared philosophy between Kohler and SR_A.
Kohler will also display its newest global product innovations at the Salone del Mobile Fair, Hall 22 - Stand H10 H6.
Media are invited to an exclusive preview reception on Monday 15 April with the artist-designer Samuel Ross present. Interviews available upon request.
For information and images, access the Kohler Milan Design Week Press Kit.
About SR_A
SR_A, founded in 2019 by Dr. Samuel Ross MBE, is a progressive design studio that has produced collaborative, commercial projects with the LVMH Group, Apple Group and Nike Group, as well as independent technology and design driven companies. This British Maison is an architect of objects within the fields of industrial design, spatial design, and visual communication. The studio’s philanthropic arm, Black British Artist Grants, provides academic funding and artist grants to underrepresented practitioners of British Caribbean and British African descent. In doing so, SR_A has formed an advisory board, comprised of the following institutions; The V&A Museum, The Royal College of Art, The British Fashion Council, The Design Museum and the University of Westminster. SR_A SR_A is a way to provide objective, aesthetic and structure change thought design.
For more information, please visit sr-a.com.
About Kohler Co.
For 150 years, Kohler Co. has been a global leader in design and innovation, dedicated to providing gracious living through kitchen and bath products; luxury cabinetry, tile and lighting; distributed energy solutions – home energy, industrial power systems, and powertrain technologies – and luxury hospitality experiences and major championship golf. Privately held Kohler Co. was founded in 1873 and is headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin. The company also develops solutions to address pressing issues, such as clean water and sanitation, for underserved communities around the world to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations.