It looks like Samuel Ross isn’t stopping until he’s taken over your entire bathroom. Last year, the British designer launched his collaboration with plumbing brand Kohler, a carrot-coloured angular faucet that debuted at Miami Design 2023. Named Formation 01, the sculptural tap was the first product of a purported multi-year link up between Ross and Kohler, one that promised to “develop a new language for water solutions” and “rechallenge expectations society may have towards familiarised objects.” Now, the A-COLD-WALL* designer is back at it again, and this time he’s rechallenging our relationship with the one constant in all our lives: going to the toilet.
Have you ever sat on a boring old porcelain bog and thought, wow, I wish this thing was toxic orange and built like a Transformer? I wish this thing looked like it could launch me into space? Well, boy does Samuel Ross have something for you! The Formation 02 smart toilet is the latest iteration of the Kohler collab, crafted by Ross and his design studio SR_A, set to be launched at this year’s Milan Design Week. The brand new mothertoilet comes with some nifty built-in design features like a heated seat, night light and “customisable cleansing” for your very own personal needs. When discussing the brutalist design of the toilet, Ross stated the intention was to “look to nature’s power”, and added that “within Formation 02, you will be reminded of the journey water must embark upon” – and what a journey that is.
Upon the toilet’s debut, it seems that onlookers will literally be invited to participate in this journey. “Formation 02 will be unveiled at FuoriSalone through a large-scale site-specific installation titled Terminal 02,” read the press release. “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.” Well, see you round the u-bend I guess!
Formation 02 will be launched during Milan Design Week at Palazzo del Senato, April 16-21. For more information, head here.
