The German bath innovator with the rather onomatopoeic name “Designerzeit” could perhaps be accused of hyperbole in regards to the pr campaign for “Adria,” the latest outdoor shower system made of brushed stainless steel: “A Dream or Reality. Every part is a little work of art. Visible quality through and through. Simply a little bit more than just a shower.” The accompanying image of the polished and gleaming cylindrical unit emerging from an ocean of pristine blue is a symbolically-loaded image indeed–evoking everything from the monolith of 2001 to Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus.” Designerzeit is clearly pulling out the stops to make the case for Adria, and I, for one, can definitely see why.

Adria. Designed by Desingerzeit.

The shower is beautiful from a functional as well as aesthetic perspective. Its compact cylindrical shape houses a detachable showerhead with luxuriating rain-style delivery and–depending upon your preference and climate–cold water or mixed taps. While I certainly understand the appeal of ice cold ablution in say, Morocco, as far as my own internal and external temperature requirements go, I’d definitely take the second option, since I’ve been accused more than once of getting cold when it’s 86 degrees out.

Besides, my own fantasy scenario for an outdoor shower includes both mountain and beach-side scenes, the latter for rinsing away the salt and surf after a good few hours exploring the Bahamian reefs, and the former for the requisite warm-up after braving the white water rapids of Colorado’s cantankerous Arkansas River. Either scenario certainly requires a touch of the hot to temper the cold, and both would be equally well-met by Adria’s sensible design, enticing aesthetic, and scenic evocation of supreme luxuriance and relaxation.

Pictures via Trendir