Kohler and Flamingo Estate Debut a Sculptural Bathhouse at Milan Design Week
Richard Christiansen partners with Kohler to transform the Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea courtyard into a Brutalist bathhouse anchored by a new copper-clad Reverie tub and surrounded by pollinator habitats
Shortly after Richard Christiansen acquired a seven-acre hillside property in Los Angeles, he enlisted French architects Studio KO to conceive a bathhouse informed by Brutalist architecture, an Alamut fortress in ancient Persia, and a growing interest in wellness that would later propel the brand, Flamingo Estate. He had recently left New York, trading a windowless shared bathroom for a setting that reflected his belief in bathing as a sacred daily ritual and supported one of his most devoted pursuits: beekeeping. The resulting structure, cast in raw concrete, houses a hammam, a steam room, and a monumental concrete tub scaled to its height.
Soon after he started using the bathhouse, Christiansen made a discovery that would change the trajectory of his brand. “The water from the bathhouse ran directly into the garden and irrigated the plants below,” he wrote on Instagram, “but I noticed my roses were all dying because of all the synthetic ingredients in my old shampoo and body wash.” The impact extended to the bees that sustain his garden. “So we began to make our own [products],” he continues. “After all, why would I use products on my body that I can’t use on my plants?”
When Kohler began searching for a collaborator to unveil a polished-copper edition of its iconic enameled cast iron bath during Milan Design Week, they immediately gravitated toward Christiansen. “He’s very passionate about pollination,” Michael Seum, Kohler’s VP of Global Design, tells Galerie. “And we’re very passionate about bathing, which are two different types of nourishment and care.” Their collaboration ranks among the hectic week’s most compelling presentations. Set within the courtyard of the historic Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea during Fuorisalone, the installation centers on a Brutalist bathhouse that draws directly from the thoughtful structure on Christiansen’s Los Angeles property.
Encircling the structure, a meadow of untamed wildflowers hosts four one-of-a-kind pollinator baths—a concept conceived by Christiansen, developed by Kohler, and cast in the company’s historic Wisconsin foundry. Each vessel begins in cast iron, then receives a flame-sprayed layer of raw copper, with edges finished to reveal dual copper surfaces. The baths serve as sanctuaries for bees and other pollinating species, with shallow patterned surfaces calibrated to support them, since conventional birdbaths can pose a drowning risk to smaller insects.
“We approached the pollinator baths as quiet, meditative gestures,” explains Seum, whose team observed the behavior of pollinators on-site at Flamingo Estate to inform their design. “In many ways, they act as a counterpoint to the boldness of the installation, grounding it and reinforcing the ideas of balance, care, and reciprocity with the ecosystems that sustain us.” Those ideas took hold immediately as insects began to pollinate the wildflowers within minutes of the installation’s public debut.
Beyond the garden, a winding path leads visitors to the monolithic bathhouse. Awaiting inside is the new Kohler Reverie enameled cast iron bath, encased in a true metal copper shroud. Its warm surface catches sunlight filtered through oversized stained-glass windows, individually handmade and assembled by Italian master glass artist Samuele Dossena, which mediate the light and set an atmosphere of serenity. Opposite the tub sit two austere Alberto Giacometti chairs that Christiansen shipped from his Los Angeles bathhouse. Lining the walls are hundreds of Flamingo Estate limited-edition Golden Pollinator candles, a custom scent crafted as an homage to Milan’s blooming Linden trees that perfume the entire city with a honeyed, lightly citric scent.
The structure forges a spa-like setting that allows the tub’s material presence to take focus. “Copper carries a warmth and vitality that felt especially resonant here,” Seum notes, describing a context that allows the finish to register through light, surface, and touch. The Reverie bath’s restrained profile and reliance on heritage materials and manufacturing processes reflect Kohler’s 153-year legacy while signaling an exciting new direction in material exploration.
For Christiansen, the setting echoes his Los Angeles bathhouse—a beloved retreat that opens to birdsong and restorative garden air while serving as the testing ground for every Flamingo Estate soap and body wash. “I think standing up for your own pleasure is a really radical act,” he says. “Surrounded by wild growth and pollinators, the structure helps remind us that our most personal rituals are deeply connected to the natural world.”