‘bubble’ by yigeng meng, one of the works in karlsruhe university’s ‘touch sound taste: soda!’ exhibition
rethinking the forms and functions involved in the process of home carbonation, ‘touch sound taste: soda!’ is an internal design competition held at germany’s karlsruhe university of arts and design. organized in part by sodastream germany, the open scope of the show encouraged a wide variety of projects, all of which posed practical improvements on the carbonation process without neglecting design aesthetics.
created by yiging meng, the shape of the ‘bubble’ water bottle is at the same time highly practical, permitting the bottle’s easy grasp by hands of all sizes, as well as an exploration into aesthetic form. as meng explains, ‘the symmetry of the sphere is unbalanced by the unsymmetrical arrangement of the balls,’ paralleling the motion and tension of carbonation bubbles in a liquid.
‘sodawall’ by soshin katsumi
designed by soshin katsumi, ‘sodawall’ is a wall-mounted carbonator. the co2 cylinder is inserted vertically into the bubble-shaped device while a water bottle is attached from the front. pushing the bottle towards the wall activates the carbonator.
‘geysir’ by kairi kuuskor and janno nou
normally co2 is added to beverages from the top of the bottle, but ‘geysir,’ designed by kairi kuuskor and janno nou, reverses this order and ends up artistically showcasing the carbonation process.
in addition to the device itself, the water bottle for this project was custom designed. the mountainous shape at its base doubles as the site of the valve by which the bottle is attached to the carbonator. when active, bubbles enter into the water from the bottom, coming from the co2 cartridge inserted into the lefthand side of the device.
detail of water bottle base of ‘geysir’
‘soda soaker’ by greta hoffmann and hannes gerlach
the playful ‘soda soaker’ carbonator, created by greta hoffmann and hannes gerlach, adopts the form of a water gun, but rather than spraying water into the air, a pull of the trigger injects carbonation into the water bottle placed into the front of the device.
‘cool soda’ by matthias heckel
an example of efficient engineering, matthias heckel’s ‘cool soda’ makes use of the pressure inherent to the carbonation process to cool the resulting beverage. a glass is placed beneath the dispenser, and the water becomes both carbonated and chilled as it is run through the device and into the waiting cup.
‘gas station’ by christopher hyna
christopher hyna’s minimialist ‘gas station’ aims to reduce the materials necessary for the carbonation process. in place of multiple complex parts, the device is simply pulled over the co2 cartridge, and the connecting port attached to the water bottle that is to be carbonated. when not in use, a small shelf built into the stand holds the connector piece.
‘mini-fizz’ by anna brugger
easily portable, ‘mini-fizz’ is designed by anna brugger to hold a co2 cartridge, allowing for fresh carbonated water on the go.
‘soda whale’ by zhu chongwuan
‘soda whale,’ designed by zhu chongwuan, is a carbonator that can be easily used and enjoyed by children. all elements required for carbonation are safely contained within the toy’s body, and any excess pressure from the process is release to a whistle pipe on the whale’s head.
‘kwicki’ by raoul gross
its shape modeled after the co2 cartridges so pivotal to a sodamachine, raoul gross’s ‘kwicki’ adaptation provides a way to carbonate water directly into a glass by simply placing the ‘kwicki’ tube over it.
‘into life’ collection by astrid ochsenreither and marina eggen; from left: ‘cosa nostra,’ ‘pocket rocket,’ ‘balboa’
a collection designed by astrid ochsenreither and marina eggen, ‘into life’ adapts plastic water bottles to daily use by increasing their aesthetic value. made from a variety of materials, the accessories are designed with a range of common contexts in mind, from athletic events to the dinner table.
hannes gerlach demos the ‘soda soaker’ carbonator he designed with greta hoffmann
left: raoul gross demonstrates the use of his ‘kwicki’ device right: matthias heckel uses his ‘cool soda’ project to chill and carbonate water at the same time
short clips highlight some of the projects in action
