David Chipperfield Design's Plywood Bathtub

When it comes to high-end bathtubs, you've got your enamel-coated steel or cast iron, or stone. Wood is reserved for Japanese-style soaking tubs. But now David Chipperfield Design, the industrial design arm of the UK's David Chipperfield Architects, has created this Tambre tub out of Okumè plywood. (Okumè is an African hardwood used to make high-end marine-grade plywood.) eThe material's warm tone and fine grain give the object a restrained presence, while its construction, based on flat, assembled elements, remains clearly legible. All technical components are contained within the body of the tub, allowing the exterior to remain uninterrupted. At each junction, solid wood inserts soften the transitions and reinforce the continuity of the volume. Recently unveiled at Milan, the Tambre is going into production by Italian bathroom brand Agape.