LESS is MORE by OLI

Aesthetic, sustainable and comfortable solutions for the bathroom. That is what OLI makes: the Portuguese manufacturer of sanitary systems has changed the bathroom experience with patented technology, high manufacturing standards and design. Its ongoing commitment translates into systems that improve water efficiency and accessibility for people with reduced mobility, with versatile solutions for all kinds of projects, both new build and refurbishment.

Its latest launch is LESS is MORE, a flush plate designed by the Italian architect Alessio Pinto that replaces buttons with two cords. In this article we look at OLI’s history and its collaborations with architects, at the flush plate itself and the awards it has received, at its technical data, and at the brand’s water-saving, hygiene and accessibility technologies.

OLI: from family business to a leading name in cisterns

OLI was founded on 1 March 1954 in Aveiro, Portugal, as Oliveira & Irmão, a small family business that went through several activities before focusing on sanitary systems in the 1980s, with its first industrial unit dedicated to cisterns. In 1993 it joined the Italian Silmar group. According to the company, it is the largest cistern producer in southern Europe and is present in 80 countries across five continents.

From the outset, its philosophy has been summed up in one motto: anticipate needs and find solutions for the future. In 2015 it completely renewed its testing laboratory, which works in two areas: one devoted to the tests and standards required by each market’s certifications, the other to researching how products behave with different degrees of water hardness, with rainwater and with seawater.

Flush plates by architects

Its long history has allowed it to work with leading architects. These are some of those collaborations:

• Eduardo Souto de Moura: SM15 (2001), a 147 × 147 mm white tempered-glass flush plate installed flush with the wall, designed for walls clad in traditional Portuguese tiles.
• Romano Adolini: the INO-X line (2009), four models in laser-cut 2 mm sheet steel, drawn using only squares and circles.
• Álvaro Siza Vieira: Trumpet (2014), a dual-flush plate whose two buttons evoke the valves of a trumpet.
• Alessio Pinto: LESS is MORE (2021), the flush plate featured in this article.

Awards for management and design

The awards recognise both the company’s productivity and capacity for innovation and the design of its flush plates. The table lists the main ones up to the date of this article, according to OLI.

Moon Black, which OLI presents as the first porcelain flush plate on the market, is made in Vista Alegre porcelain and works touch-free with Hydroboost technology, which generates its own energy from the movement of the flush water, with no mains connection or batteries.

LESS is MORE: two cords instead of buttons

The LESS is MORE flush plate takes its cue from Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s (1886-1969) maxim “less is more”, a principle the architect applied in his work and which became highly influential. Here, the conventional flush buttons give way to two nylon cords reminiscent of the earliest sanitary mechanisms in history.

The plate is stainless steel and comes in four finishes: polished, brushed, matt white and matt black. All four versions are mechanically operated, dual-flush, front-fitted plates, 2 mm thick, for OLI’s concealed cisterns. According to the manufacturer, its eclectic and functional identity suits vintage, contemporary or minimalist bathrooms.

Alessio Pinto’s design

The Italian architect Alessio Pinto is the author of this meaning-laden flush plate. His approach applies the “less is more” principle to the whole product, from the flush mechanism to the minimalism of the design and its materiality. The cords are of different lengths: the short one triggers the partial flush (LESS) and the long one the full flush (MORE), with no icons or symbols. Pinto explained it this way at the product’s launch:

“At a glance, we see the meaning of more and less in the flush of water. The cords, longer or shorter, take on the role of analogue signals to prompt a clear and immediate action. There are no signs or symbols to decipher here, just a choice made at first sight. We believe this instant understanding makes this plate unique and empathetic.”

— Alessio Pinto

Red Dot and iF Design Award in 2021

In 2021 the flush plate received the Red Dot Award in the Product Design category. The jury noted that it fulfils, convincingly and with style, the promise of unadorned design carried in its name. According to OLI, companies from 60 countries took part that year.

The same year it won the iF Design Award, organised by iF International Forum Design GmbH. OLI states that LESS is MORE stood out among 3,693 projects from 52 countries, assessed by a jury of 98 international experts on five criteria: idea, form, function, differentiation and impact. The brand also presents it as a winner of the 2021 Archiproducts Design Awards.

LESS is MORE technical data

The table summarises OLI’s technical data sheet. All four versions share the same plate and mechanism; only the finish changes.

When specifying it, three points are worth bearing in mind:

• Cistern and flush plate together: it is a mechanical flush plate for OLI’s concealed cisterns, so compatibility needs to be checked when choosing the cistern.
• Finish to suit the wall covering: polished or brushed steel and the matt white and black finishes allow the plate to blend into the wall or contrast with it.
• Technical documentation: OLI’s website provides the technical data sheet, installation instructions, the DXF drawing and BIM objects for Revit and Archicad.

Water, hygiene and accessibility

The flush plate follows the sustainability criteria that characterise the company, for which sustainability is a corporate pillar. OLI holds ISO 14001 certification for environmental management and ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety management, which build good practice into its management strategy.

Its product range is varied, but every product shares one aim: the well-being of the people who use it. These are some of the solutions that put it into practice, according to the manufacturer:

• Dual flush: in 1994 OLI began mass-producing a dual-flush valve that can reduce water consumption by up to 50%.
• PLUS technology: built into its cisterns, it saves up to nine litres of water a day, roughly 2% of the monthly bill, because the cistern does not fill while the flush valve is open. It cleans the WC with 5 litres on a full flush and 3 on a partial one, and is certified to the NF standard with noise level 1.
• Hygiene: the RIA flush plate has an antibacterial finish whose coating releases metal ions that inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungi and algae. It is vandal-resistant and designed for public spaces.
• Accessibility: the Easy Move concealed cistern (2012) allows the height of the WC to be adjusted by remote control and accepts a grab-rail kit for people with reduced mobility.

OLI’s sanitary systems seek a balance between aesthetics, functionality and innovation. Its Aveiro factory has grown at the same pace as the company and houses a laboratory for developing new bathroom solutions.

Epilogue: LESS is MORE at Matter

A few weeks after this article was published, on 5 May 2022, OLI presented LESS is MORE at Matter Barcelona as part of the Best Practices Matter session ‘Function and beauty’. The Grey Matter Agency, Matter’s communications agency, produced the flush plate’s launch video, shot in Aveiro. In November 2022 it was selected for the ADI Design Index 2022, which, according to OLI, made it eligible for the 2024 Compasso d’Oro.

At Matter we help you define the whole bathroom, from the cistern and flush plate to the surfaces around them. Come to our material library to compare materials and finishes with your technical team.