The Cage Door Handle for Colombo Design and designboom by alice naylor from uk

in keeping with columbo’s sleek designs and in response to the brief, i explored the possibilities of a design that would make use of commonly marketing mechanical parts and be both functional and agreeable to the eye. important things to consider were responsible use of materials, a tactile shape and use of standard fittings.

colombo’s designs are sleek and sophisticated; i did not want to move too far away from their common language. the 'rose' stays close to conventional designs. the handle takes a bird cage as its inspirations. the 10 ‘ribs’ (5mm solid tubes in brushed steel or chrome) formed in concentric circles echo the ellipsoid structure of an old fashioned bird cage. the 4 support structures(5mm solid tubes in brushed steel or chrome) add strength and support. prototypes were mocked up using foamboard and cardboard (not entirely successfully) but were useful in understanding how this could be made in solid materials.

the ten concentric circles - 5mm in diameter, ranging in width from 60mm-100mm are fixed (welded or glued) to four 5mm tubes should provide enough robustness for constant use. the handle is fixed to a 20mm hollow tube (2mm thick) which is in turn, fixed to the door rose, using standard fittings. there is scope for the ‘cage’ to be developed in varying ellipsoid shapes and colours. the use of materials is minimal and it should be strong and lightweight.