Iota
Sebastian Bergne’s Iota collection subtracts as much material as possible from the classic design of doorknobs, lever handles and cupboard pulls (image: Ruth Ward).
“It happens in careers that you have projects that are unsatisfactory because they don't quite come together,” industrial designer Sebastian Bergne says, reflecting on the Iota lever handle he designed in collaboration with manufacturer Izé in 2010. “It had a lot of success at the time when it was first launched, but it kind of went dead, essentially, after that.”
Iota was designed by subtracting as much material as possible from a door handle, creating a slim profile that resembles a visor. Typically, lever door handles consist of two main parts: a bent tube and a circular plate which secures this to the door. While the bent tube rotates to open the door, the plate usually remains static. In Bergne’s design, however, he combined these two parts in order to create a handle which moves more fluidly. “Rather than fixing through the centre and rotating around it, the handle is actually attached to the outside ring of the plate,” Bergne says. “So the whole thing is a moving object.” In order for the handle to be used widely, however, Bergne realised that he needed to design a larger range of options tailored for commercial settings such as hotels. “I made a big effort to get back in touch [with Izé] and did a lot of work on it speculatively,” he says, “and they realised there was potential to make a whole range with a similar design approach.”
Bergne’s original design, created in 2010, was formed of a lever handle and a thumb lock (image: Ruth Ward).
The newly launched range operates in the same way as the original handle, whittling the designs down to the least material possible, while also offering slightly unusual ways to open doors. The collection features two drawer and cupboard pulls – one long and slender, with handles that curve at the edges like quotation marks, and the other small and round, with a hollowed out centre – alongside a large doorknob which has been similarly cored. “The same kind of formal language works, maybe in a slightly surprising way,” Bergne says, explaining how users can hook their fingers inside the round door pulls and doorknob to aid with pulling or twisting them open. “There's quite a lot of hand finishing involved,” he adds, explaining that each handle is cast from recycled bronze. “Some are sanded to a shiny finish, and others put into a drum with some pieces of stone and rotated so it gives a kind of hammered finish.” These tumbled pieces have a tarnished finish that resembles antique hardware, while other finishes are more modern, such as a coated ceramic which is available in multiple colours.
The collection is available in multiple finishes, including colourful ceramic (image: Ruth Ward).
The lever door handle, which became ubiquitous during the 20th century, is often associated with modern architecture due to its sleek lines and ergonomic design that is clearly expressive of its purpose. While Bergne’s original design toyed with these principles to create a handle that was more simplified, it did not include another important invention that was popularised around the same time as the lever handle. “You have certain elements which are essential for commercial environments,” Bergne explains. “So the coin lock, for example, enables you to get into a bathroom from the outside if there’s an emergency.” While the latest collection includes a coin lock alongside the original thumb lock, it also expands its design language to encompass more traditional hardware designs such as the doorknob and the key lock. When approached with Bergne’s pared down aesthetic, the traditional doorknob takes on a more sculptural character, adorning the door like a piece of jewellery. Together, the tail of the lever handle and the hollow of the doorknob form the shape of their namesake – the greek letter iota – and successfully embody its present-day meaning by doing so with the smallest amount of material.