Iron Bathroom Furniture and Sanitary Ware Design · 2023
Space Oddity Overflow Spa
- A' Design Award 2023 Iron Winner in Bathroom Furniture and Sanitary Ware Design
- Awarded April 15, 2023
- CLIENT: Olivier Felix Isselin
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 27,410
- Verification code 608B660EFD · Verify this award
About Space Oddity Overflow Spa
Space Oddity plays with gravity with its sleek lines and use of stainless steel, allowing it to blend seamlessly in any indoor or outdoor setting, whether it be contemporary or classic. Its aesthetics do not compromise on comfort of use, featuring an ergonomic seat, a soft-touch interior surface, and the possibility of placing jets and blowers on demand. Options such as the choice of grid (shape and material), and the color of the tank make each Space Oddity unique. In addition, this stainless steel overflow spa is weather resistant and easy to maintain. Finally, it is completely recyclable.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The Space Oddity spa's sleek lines and use of stainless steel magnify any environment in which it is installed, whether indoors or outdoors. This aesthetic does not compromise on comfort of use, as it features an ergonomic seat and a soft-touch interior surface (microblasted stainless steel), along with the possibility to place jets and blowers on demand. Furthermore, this durable and fully recyclable spa offers customizable options, such as the color of the tank.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Space Oddity, overflow hot-tub :
Overall dimensions : 2480 mm x 2400 mm x 910 mm
Buffer tank height: 380 mm
height above ground: 530 mm
Exterior tank diameter: 2380 mm
Diameter Interior tank: 2000 mm
Water height: 827 mm
Materials: AISI 315L stainless steel (called marine stainless steel) - Tags
- Spa, Hot-tub, nordic bath, stainless steel, wellness, luxury, bath
- Production Technology
- The design of the spa involves 3D computer modeling and real modeling for the seat. It is constructed from AISI 316L stainless steel, using technologies such as bending, TIG welding, and stamping, as well as flanging for the curved parts. The external part undergoes electrolytic polishing to make it shiny, while the interior undergoes glass bead blasting to homogenize the components and obtain a satin appearance for a soft-touch feel. Finally, the entire spa is treated with DBP 451 in the factory.
- Design Challenge
- The complexity of the project, in addition to the desire for extreme simplification of the general line, was to make the object drawn technically feasible and easy to maintain, with particular attention given to accessibility and nozzle installation. All the technical parts of the spa are easily accessible.
- Project Duration
- The project starts in 2021 and finished in February 2023 in Agay (France).
- Operation Flow
- Space Oddity is versatile and can be used as a spa, hot tub, cold bath, and even functions as a sculpture when not in use. Made entirely of marine stainless steel, it is extremely resistant to corrosion and 100% recyclable. The interior walls have a soft-touch finish, making them both soft and non-slip. Additionally, Space Oddity distinguishes itself with its quiet operation, thanks to the remote machinery, which separates the pumps, sand filter, ozonator, and heat exchanger from the spa. Finally, the spa is highly customizable, allowing for individualized design and options.
- Research
- Objective: To create a high-end stainless steel spa that is both aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friendly, while ensuring durability and longevity.
Methodology: Utilizing our in-depth knowledge of spas, we conducted extensive research with specialists in water treatment, boilermaking, and physiotherapy to ensure feasibility and optimal ergonomics.
In order to simplify maintenance and prevent noise pollution during use, it was necessary to relocate the machinery. Additionally, a structure was added beneath the spa to facilitate easy transport and installation. - Inspiration
- I wanted to create a spa with an instantly recognizable design that plays with gravity, like a sculpture. Its elegant silhouette, curved edges, and capsular shapes give it a light and joyful appearance, with an assumed "space age" look that refers to an era of freedom and carelessness.
To achieve this look, the spa had to be made entirely of marine stainless steel. This material has aesthetic, hygienic, and ecological qualities, as it is 100% recyclable with a neutral impact on the environment and unrivaled durability. - Image Credits
- Image credits : Olivier Felix Isselin
- Patents
- Copyrights belong to Olivier Felix Isselin, 2023.
Deposit Model INPI n° 20230391
Colors of Space Oddity Overflow Spa
Design Interview about Space Oddity Overflow Spa
The goal was to create an overflow spa with an immediately recognizable design that plays with gravity, like a sculpture. Its elegant silhouette, curved edges, and capsule-like shapes give it a light and joyful appearance: a deliberate space age look that recalls a time of freedom and carelessness. To achieve this appearance, the spa had to be entirely made of marine stainless steel. This material has aesthetic, hygienic, and ecological qualities as it is 100% recyclable with a neutral impact on the environment and unparalleled durability.
I was interested in the spa because I don't like what's out there. Most of the products in this segment compete on the basis of ugliness: it's a true tuning contest. However, wellness is also about beauty!
Now we need to find a bright future for this spa and find the right distributors and prescribers around the world.
Between my first sketch and the finalization of the product, about a year had passed.
Space Oddity is a personal project that I wish to develop.
The realization of this spa is entirely carried out in the workshops of CDE, the French leader in the construction of storage tanks. I do not wish for any other manufacturer for my spas. It is sold under my own brand of stainless steel pools and spas: Linoxydable. However, I am looking for distributors internationally.
I assume and claim a space age style for this project... so, of course, creators such as Verner Panton, Eero Saarinen, the Castiglioni brothers, Eero Aarnio, etc. have influenced me.
Space Oddity positions itself in the luxury market.
Its aesthetics.
The first step is to jot down an idea on paper... Sketches and various notes... then I work with a 3D design software.
It seems to defy gravity.
I am working with an industrial partner, CDE, the French leader in the construction of storage tanks, for this project. For equipment: my partner OZONEX for ozone water treatment and spa regulation, and the company REGUL for level management.
The visible formal aspect didn't pose too much of a problem for me. I immediately knew where I wanted to go. However, the highly minimalistic rendering of this spa ultimately required a particularly complex technical design.
Every creator wants success for their creations, but I am not very good at marketing them. Moreover, I lack the means to go further and meet the right distributors and prescribers. Winning an A'Design award will surely allow this spa to take off in the international market. It will find its place in beautiful locations.
The design process for the Space Oddity spa was exactly the same as for all my other creations. I just tried to improve the realistic 3D presentation of the project.
Grand Interview about Space Oddity Overflow Spa
I initially used stainless steel to manufacture pools. The aesthetic of the material is undeniable. Its combination with water enhances the object, and its color, which depends on the environment in which Space Oddity is placed, allows it to fit in any context.From an environmental standpoint, I am well aware that we can’t really talk about an eco-friendly material when it comes to stainless steel (even though it is a recycled product and 100% recyclable). However—and this is a point that really matters to me—it is a durable material, and unlike many objects made from other materials, I believe my spas will outlast me… Durability is part of ecology too!
It is very difficult for me to answer this point. The fusion of retro-futuristic elements with contemporary wellness design is not a deliberate choice. It is just a fact. I do not start a project thinking I will create an object with this or that ingredient. I try to remain free. Then, like any creator, my inspiration comes from what I experience, what I have seen, and what has pleased me… However, as its name suggests, the space age universe and, more generally, that of modernists have nourished me.
We conducted a number of tests. I did not want a polished mirror-finish interior surface due to the risk of scratches… Brushed stainless steel was not the solution either because of the linear aspect of the brushing. We needed to find something else. We therefore tried sandblasting, projections of various materials with different consistencies at different pressures. Ultimately, it was the glass bead blasting that convinced me, both visually and in terms of touch: it is very pleasant.
Accessibility is achieved between the double walls (inner basin and outer shell). This was a crucial point during the design of the spa. And in the end, we succeeded in installing the nozzles where we wanted them, according to demand… For my part, I prefer to use Space Oddity as a Nordic bath (without bubbles).
The fact that Space Oddity can be installed either indoors or outdoors is mainly due to the material used: stainless steel. In fact, I use only one type of stainless steel for the entire spa (structure and walls): AISI 316L stainless steel, also known as marine stainless steel, which is the most suitable for this type of product.
It is certainly technically challenging to achieve this type of shape, but with good partners, manufacturing is not a problem. We always manage it… Then, the structural integrity of such shapes is, on the contrary, quite simple.
As with any luxury product, customization seemed essential to me. However, the identity of Space Oddity is primarily formal. Therefore, only a few details of Space Oddity could be modified without fundamentally changing the object. Customization through color was obvious and ultimately satisfying. For the overflow grid, it came up during the design phase: I designed several types of grids for the overflow, and the final choice was difficult because, in the end, I liked many of them and so they could be proposed… It’s a bit like a car: choosing the color, the bodywork, and the wheels is a way to make it your own without altering it.
The remote machinery system in spas, while rare, is not really a novelty. For Space Oddity, it was a technical necessity on one hand and indeed the desire to eliminate any noise disturbance so that one can fully enjoy a moment of relaxation.
For spas, it wouldn’t be a luxury if designers aimed a bit more at creating beautiful objects rather than engaging in tuning contests where the winner is whoever adds the most features… I firmly believe that aesthetics are a fundamental component of well-being.
This was evident from its creation. Like any object, a spa is not used all the time, and given its size, when it is not in use, it remains visible and difficult to hide. Therefore, it had to be beautiful. I believe this is a necessity for any object, at least for those I create. Functionality and beauty are always the first two points in my specifications. The technique adapts.