variations on the theme of humidifiers by il coccio

il coccio’s range of humidifiers

the humidifier becomes a fashionable furnishing complement to match today’s contemporary lifestyle, however, not at the sacrifice of health and environment. the humidity is in fact obtained through the natural evaporation of water, which occurs when the humidifier is placed near the heat emanated by the radiators (once they have been switched on).

giulio iacchetti image © designboom

coordinated by giulio iacchetti, the il coccio 2010 design edition is made of eight new ceramic objects, all along the lines of formal cleanliness. designers fernando brìzio, marco ferreri, monica förster, alfredo häberli, giulio iacchetti, alberto meda, denis santachiara, and patricia urquiola have collaborated. also, the famous ‘fischietto’ humidifier, designed for il coccio by achille castiglioni in 1998 will be re-introduced into the market.

‘la fabbrica del vapore’ by giulio iacchetti

in this horizontally placed humidifier both object and function evoke memories of the archetype. the factory, which emits steam, gives the idea of an environmentally unfriendly production, but here it is actually offering a sense of well-being.

‘la fabbrica del vapore’ by giulio iacchetti image © designboom

‘travetta’ by patricia urquiola

traces of what could be considered a classic humidifier have disappeared to give way to a project that camouflages its primary function. ‘travetta’ is also a tray.

‘travetta’ by patricia urquiola image © designboom

‘float’ by fernando brizio

a completely white ceramic bottle, a float, a black wooden sphere, water. these are the components of ‘float’, a humidifier to be placed on the radiator. it flirts with the physics of water evaporation, the water level, which determines the ups and downs of the sphere (up to completely closing the bottle after the evaporation process has been completed).

‘float’ by fernando brizio image © designboom

‘stromboli’ by alfredo häberli

‘stromboli’ by alfredo häberli

a ceramic counter-balance remains hidden behind the radiator elements so that ‘stromboli’ is held in suspension

‘stromboli’ by alfredo häberli image © designboom

‘fischietto’ by achille castiglioni

designed by achille castiglioni for il coccio, already in 1998, the ‘fischietto’, now is considered to be the a design classic. in 2010 it returns to production.

‘all seasons’ by albert meda

this humidifier hangs from the radiator during winter and carries out its primary duty, but in summer it becomes an elegant vase. ‘all seasons’ has a pentagonal section which, when hung, can be used on either the chine or the flat side, depending on whether the radiator is a compact model or one with spaced elements.

‘frank zeppa’ by denis santachiara

to deviate from the canonical position of the humidifier and from the same canonical method of hooking it to the front of the radiator, ‘frank zeppa’ has cleverly concealed itself among the radiator elements and the wall. however, the hook is available so that it can be hung. : -)

‘clio’ by marco ferreri

a humidifier designed to be placed either horizontally on the radiator, or hung. in both cases the contact surface is brought to a maximum. its sinuous volume allows the metallic hook to be hidden within the ceramic.

‘milkyway’ by monica foerster

this humidifier practically challenges gravity by resting perfectly vertical, bringing to mind the shape of a flying saucer.

foam radiator exhibition at maison et objet 2010 image © designboom