A new spin on the Swiss amy knife

The £9,000 'Swiss Army knife' bathroom with foldable showers, cupboard and even a loo

Last updated at 9:12 AM on 02nd October 2008

• 
  

A designer is turning heads with his extraordinary space-saving bathroom - which folds out like a giant Swiss Army knife

It looks like an art installation inspired by a hi-tech corkscrew or Swiss army penknife.

But this is no ornament or sculpture. It is, in fact, the world's first fold-up vertical bathroom.

Called the Vertebrae, it stacks a toilet, sink, water cistern and two showers into one 8ft-tall steel column.

It has a price tag of £9,000 and is aimed at space-conscious householders who struggle to fit a traditional shower, sink and toilet into their bathroom space.

The Vertebrae is the brainchild of award-winning designer Paul Hernon, of Huddersfield, who created it with small apartments in mind.

He said: 'I did lots of research and it became obvious to me that bathroom space was decreasing, particularly in apartments.

'I have created an intriguing but functional and simplistic space-saving bathroom by stacking the contents of a bathroom on top of one another.

'It's designed to utilise vertical space instead of horizontal floor space. It is quick to assemble and easy to maintain - all you need is a wet room to put it in.

'I think it pushes the boundariesof anything that has been done before. People who have seen it are completely blown away.'

The two showers - one for adults and one for children - both rotate 180 degrees while the other units all rotate a full 360 degrees.

They all twist around a steel column which contains all the piping, and each part simply pushes out when it is required.

Mr Hernon, 38, said his creation could fit into a smaller space than a traditional bathroom, meaning architects could design smaller bathrooms and free up more space for other rooms.

But he warned that the Vertebrae - named after the human spine - weighs 150 kilos, or more than 23 stone, and that householders might have to reinforce their bathroom floor before fitting it.

The Vertebrae is expected to go on sale in the new year. Bespoke versions will be available with shaving mirrors, lights and other additions.