Antonio Lupi Makes a Splash with Mr. Splash by Jorge Bibiloni

Italian company Antonio Lupi always has some interesting designs for the bath. Their innovative bathtubs Cuna and Sarto 15 Tub challenged the way a bathtub should look, in the first case making it resemble a crib and in the second case a tugboat. The company also plays with the nature of sinks, turning out some of the most innovative freestanding units available today.

Mr. Splash. Designed by Jorge Bibiloni for Antionio Lupi.

Mr. Splash is a great example of the way Antonio Lupi forces us to change our preconceived notions about the form of a sink. This combination sink and vanity stands with “two arms stretched upwards, inviting the jet of water to break on them.” Reaching toward the heavens, Mr. Splash is making a statement about the salutary powers of water.

Antonio Lupi Makes a Splash with Mr. Splash by Jorge Bibiloni

Antonio Lupi Makes a Splash with Mr. Splash by Jorge Bibiloni

While it may look 100% artistic, the sink is also practical: constructed of Cristalplant, Mr. Splash includes floor drainage, complete with drain pipe fitting and plug. This Y-shaped wonder was the vision of designer Jorge Bibiloni, who must have intended to make people question the staid shape of sinks. Water flows, Mr. Splash and Mr. Bibiloni seem to say. It’s about time a sink’s design acknowledged the nature of the element: water can’t be contained (as with a bowl). It is fluid, in motion. The asymmetry of this Antonio Lupi freestanding sink also reminds users of water’s flow and fluctuation–it also echoes the shape of a wave, which, after all, should be wavering!

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