DESIGNER RADIATOR

Radiator Art

One branch of radiator design has informally labelled itself as "radiator art" and the radiators that fit into this category are probably the most outlandish of all.

What is and is not art is of course open to question, but some of these radiators are nothing short of stunning and few would recognise them for what they actually are – a heating utility.

Most art-radiators have been designed as "one of a kind" creations and they may involve complex sculptures or artistic decoration. The former often take the basic continuous pipe layout used for radiators and twist and contort this approach until something that resembles an exhibit of tubular art has been produced.

Another common approach is to use a glass panel radiator and to create a genuine painting-like design on its surface. When this is the case the only indication that the panel is not simply art is the presence of any cables, pipe work or connections necessary for the function of the unit. This method also opens up the possibility of incorporating logos and in-house designs, or commissioned artwork on the front surface of the radiator panel.

Still more options see intricate latticework designs, whilst radiators with moulded and profiled front faces are capable of completely disguising the real function of the radiator by giving it a three dimensional look. Radiators of this type can make stunning features and they can also be unusually high and wide.

Extreme examples of art radiators can see the design mimicking some other everyday object. A case in point is a design by Ulrich Reithofer that resembles a massive necklace that appears to hang from a wall – its real function completely disguised. Other similar recreations of real world object include a radiator that looks like a harp and a number of designs that appear to be artistic or sculptured floral ironmongery.

At the moment most of the more bizarre radiator designs are well out of the price range of the typical home owner. However, the same was true of tower radiators and tubular towel drying radiators just a couple of decades ago and now these styles are highly affordable and sold widely across the internet and in major bathroom stores.