Bruce Tomb’s toilet and high tank are a reshaping of the conventional home fixtures as autonomous pieces of furniture. They join a series of explorations by this San Francisco-based architect and artist into the form and mechanics of domestic functions. Others in the series include a granite cooktop, a bath cart, a self-contained “bedroom,” and a lavatory.
Unlike most toilets, which operate by the siphon jet principle, Tomb’s toilet operates on the principle of the vortex. The form of the bowl makes visible the innately sculptural phenomenon of the vortex. The toilet’s refined, esoteric materials — carbon fiber for the bowl, urethane for the seat, and stainless steel for the armature — contrast with the more traditional materials of the accompanying high tank, built like a barrel or a water tower and proportioned to the human figure.
Tomb’s toilet and high tank are in the collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Originally published 4th quarter 2001, in arcCA 01.4, “H2O CA.”
