Toru, the stainless-steel appliance series designed by Nendo for Alessi, is a wonderful expression of the skill and care with which the company handles this material. “Toru” means “through” in Japanese and is a subtle reference to the black, tube-like elements that
characterise the various objects in the collection. These elements fit elegantly into the stainless-steel body, acting sometimes as a spout, sometimes as a handle, to create a composition of cleverly ironic volumes.
The Toru toaster emphasises Nendo’s ability to reduce objects down to their fundamentals.
A few precise brush strokes are all it takes to design an elegantly proportioned object made even more minimalist by the use of steel. In Japanese, “toru” means “through”, and with this toaster, the collection’s distinguishing feature – a black element that appears to pass through the body of the objects – becomes a pair of handles that resolve a functional
necessity using inventive shapes.
