The Art of Design Issue 46 2020 | Page 44

44 BACK IN 1994, ALBION’S FOUNDERS HAD A MISSION - to create the ultimate bathtubs. After looking at the market it was clear that only two materials were available at the time. Acrylic, which is a soft plastic, became popular in the 1970’s due to ease of manufacture and low cost. However, acrylic’s properties fell short of what the customer wanted. It’s flexibility was always an issue. People reported a dread of taking a bath, as they felt the tub might break under their weight. People also said that acrylic was easy to scratch and always had a ‘cheap look about it’. These shortcomings still remain today. Cast Iron has been used for approximately 120 years. It gained a reputation for being the ‘real-thing’. However, cast iron has many drawbacks, such as excessive weight, incredible heat loss from the bathing water and proneness to surface chipping. Homeowners also found that liquid cleaners would ruin the white interior surface. After two years of development, Albion had it sorted. A new material was created from an amalgam of high technology resin and a special reinforced mineral. Manufactured in their own factory, this material was named Iso-Enamel due to its high strength and hard surface. This formulation is cast into moulds and allowed to harden. The result is a strong, durable and luxurious construction that gives years of bathing enjoyment. Also, Albion baths will keep your water hotter as our material insulates rather than conducts heat. To this day, their unique process offers benefits that other materials cannot provide. Their range of baths are split into two families: Roll Tops, which have a soft rolled edge, and Bull Nose which are characterised by a continuous form from inside to outside. The exterior of our Roll Top baths can be customised; choose from our selected paint range, one of our three exclusive burnished metallic finishes The exact way the baths are made is a bit of a secret! The materials and processes are unique to Albion - so they’re keen not to give the game away. What they can say is that an Albion bath is a multi-layered construction of special resins and stone powders. The surface is high-gloss, bright white enamel. This is harder than acrylic - and compared to cast iron, our coating is less prone to chipping. An Albion bath is approximately 1/3 the weight of a cast iron bath. This core also insulates your bathing water. Albion now manufactures hand made bathroom furniture in a variety of sizes and styles. To suit your bathroom ideas, Albion’s furniture can be painted to a colour of your choice –giving you the ultimate solution for your new, classical bathroom. www.albionbathco.com