Valvola01 collection by QuadroDesign

Valvola01 is one of the new bathroom tap collections from the Italian firm QuadroDesign. Its design captures the appeal of industrial taps and draws on the classic hydraulic and gas ball valves, which it reinterprets in a concise, very contemporary form. It is designed by Studio Adolini and, like everything the brand produces, is made in AISI 316L stainless steel.

In this article we explain where its formal language comes from, how the concealed system that allows its pieces to be combined works, which types the collection included in 2020, what AISI 316L steel and PVD finishes bring, and what to bear in mind when specifying it.

From industrial valve to bathroom

Valvola01 takes its cue from building services: the ball valves that open and close the flow of water or gas with a turn of their lever. In Valvola01 that reference is pared back to a few geometries: the tube of the spout, the circular rosette and the flat lever of the handle.

Valvola01 stands out for the precision with which it works stainless steel, combined with the softness of its forms: clean pieces, with nothing superfluous, that keep the industrial character of their origin without losing the refinement expected of a contemporary bathroom.

QuadroDesign presented it in 2020 together with Valvola02, also by Studio Adolini, as its two collections of the year. At the launch they were described as sustainable, technological taps of timeless modernity.

A single concealed system, many combinations

A single concealed system makes it possible to combine different supply elements and so obtain different formal solutions within a broad range of types. Flexibility is, according to QuadroDesign, the common trait of all its collections: elements that can be freely combined to suit any context and need.

The brand explains that it has separated the functional variables of the concealed parts, starting with the cartridge, so that the designer works with a single specification code. In practice, the part that sits inside the wall is decided on site, and the visible piece, the spout and handles, completes the composition at the basin, bidet, shower or bath.

Which types the collection included in 2020

In August 2020, QuadroDesign’s website grouped taps for the whole bathroom under Valvola01. The table summarises the families with their references as they were listed at the time.

According to QuadroDesign’s technical data sheets, the mixers without the letter V, such as 19 10, 19 31, 19 51 or 19 63, are progressive mixers: a single handle turns on the water and regulates the temperature with the same rotation. The three-hole versions, such as 19 31V, combine the spout with two handles. The 19 69 bath set brings together two wall-mounted progressive mixers with a spout and hand shower.

AISI 316L stainless steel and PVD finishes

The series is made in AISI 316L stainless steel, the steel QuadroDesign has used for all its taps since 2001. According to the manufacturer, this steel remains durable, does not deteriorate, resists acid solvents and saline corrosion and is hypoallergenic. The brand adds that uncoated steel has a low impact: it needs no chrome plating or other coatings in production, does not corrode or release harmful elements in contact with water, and can be recycled at the end of its service life.

As well as brushed steel, in 2020 QuadroDesign offered Valvola01 in PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) finishes in light gold, pink gold and black gold. PVD is a thin coating which, according to the brand, does not alter the properties of stainless steel and has a very low environmental impact.

Key points for specifying Valvola01

These are the points worth resolving at design stage:

• Concealed parts first: wall mixers, shower and bath sets and concealed units need a hidden part that is installed on site. The piece has to be defined before the walls are closed.
• Type of control: the single-handle progressive mixer simplifies use; the three-hole versions separate the spout and two handles, and all three openings must be allowed for in the worktop or wall.
• Finish: brushed steel is the material itself; PVD finishes are a coating on the steel. It is advisable to use the same finish for all the taps and accessories in the bathroom.
• Installation: QuadroDesign’s current guide recommends a working pressure of 2 to 5 bar, a pressure reducer above 5 bar, stopcocks with filters before the mixer and a water softener if the water is very hard.

QuadroDesign and Studio Adolini

QuadroDesign is based in San Maurizio d'Opaglio, on the shores of Lake Orta in northern Italy, and is run by siblings Enrico and Elena Magistro. It continues Rubinetterie Magistro, the tap company founded by their parents in 1978. QuadroDesign was founded in 2001 and has since designed and manufactured essential designer taps in AISI 316L stainless steel. The brand states that its products are made and assembled in Italy with Italian-sourced components.

Studio Adolini, founded in Rome in 1984, is a multidisciplinary studio working in civil and industrial architecture, monument restoration, museography, interior design, product design and graphics. Its partners are the architect Romano Adolini and the designer Niccolò Adolini. For QuadroDesign it had also designed the Levo collection.

Epilogue: after this article was published, Valvola01 won an Archiproducts Design Award 2020 in the bathroom category, was selected for the ADI Design Index 2021 and received a German Design Award 2022, according to QuadroDesign. In 2026 the collection remains in the brand’s catalogue, extended with thermostatic mixers, and is offered in brushed steel, brushed steel with PVD Black Gold and PVD Light Gold, Black Gold and Bronze Gold.

At Matter we help you plan the complete bathroom: the taps, the sanitaryware and the surfaces that go with them. If you are interested in the Valvola01 collection, do get in touch: in our material library you can compare materials and finishes with your technical team.