What if a radiator was the centrepiece of your living room?
Italian company Tubes has been designing extraordinary radiators for over 30 years, proving that any object can be the star of the show if given enough attention.
Every home has a few objects that always stick out, no matter how carefully placed. Radiators are often one of those, outdated heating units stuck in corners that clash with curated interiors. However, Tubes is a company that has been attempting to change this narrative, spending over three decades transforming the radiator from a necessary evil into a design statement.
Tubes is an Italian company based in an industrial district near Venice, family-owned since 1992. Their exceptional quality is not only their collaborations with Italy’s most renowned designers, but especially their progress in finding new technical ways of interpreting heat within the home. Usually, homes have a pre-existing heating system that dictates where radiators should go, making them uncomfortable, immovable objects. Tubes’ key idea was to separate the controls from the heating body itself, as they figured out that it isn’t necessary for the valve to be attached to the pipe.
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Now, most of Tubes’ products work through a special valve that can link the radiator to the heating system through a remote connection. In this way, radiators can be freed from their uncomfortable corners and can now become more interesting wall sculptures or free-standing objects, opening up more possibilities for designers and architects. Their progress did not stop there, as the company released Scaletta in 2014, a fully transportable electric heater.
One of Tubes’ most iconic products is Soho, designed in 2008 by Ludovica Serafini and Roberto Palomba. With an incredibly slim profile, just 17.6 cm at its narrowest, it can slip into spaces where traditional radiators would not fit. Its hydraulic version stands out for its high heat output, through a patented internal system that maximises heating surface area while minimising water content. With the same elegant and minimal design, the electric version can be connected through Wi-fi for digital programming.
Agorà is a model that takes a different approach, drawing inspiration from traditional cast iron radiators while incorporating modern design and performance standards. Available in 190 different sizes and three aesthetic variations, it bridges the gap between conventional standards and modern sensibility. What’s particularly clever about its design is how it is made to replace old radiators without the need of any masonry work, ideal for anyone refurbishing their homes.
The most intriguing aspect of Tubes’ approach is their fundamental reconceptualisation of what a radiator should be. While many designers try to camouflage them into the walls or give them secondary functionalities to hide this unsightly worker, Tubes has expressively decided that the best way to avoid making an ugly radiator is to make a beautiful one. Their collections vary from sculptures, murals, or room dividers, which have genuine appeal for many audiences.
Design is not only about chairs and tables, it can also be about making the most mundane objects of the house as beautiful as the main characters. Suggesting spaces where functional elements don’t constrain design choices but enhance them, and where sustainability and performance go hand in hand, Tubes‘ vision for the future of interior design is bright, and radiant.
