FIMA CARLO FRATTINI

Italian engineering evolving into a new language of water, material and light

For over six decades, Fima Carlo Frattini has built its reputation on Italian manufacturing, engineering precision and technical reliability. Its recent work opens a new chapter, with products that explore the relationship between water, movement, material, light and architecture. Collections such as Slide, NIHIL, THEA and LUME show how the company is moving beyond the conventional language of tapware, from rethinking the mechanics of a mixer to designing the shower as a complete environment.

This direction is supported by an integrated production structure in Italy. Design, engineering and manufacturing are developed in close connection, allowing FIMA to work on increasingly complex mechanisms, new materials and products conceived as part of the architecture of the bathroom.

NIHIL, designed by Davide Vercelli, turns manufacturing precision into a visible part of the product. Made from stainless steel, its surface retains the microscopic marks created during turning and milling instead of concealing them through polishing. In the untreated stainless steel version, the absence of additional surface coatings also reduces the energy and chemicals normally required during finishing. A finely engraved control, inspired by the rhythm of a Doric column, adds a precise tactile detail to its minimal form.

FIMA brings the same level of research to the shower environment. THEA, developed with the international architecture and design studio GIO FORMA, replaces the conventional showerhead with a 32 centimetre stone effect disc outlined by a thin LED ring. Its surface is made from technical ceramic reinforced with fibreglass. The veining helps conceal the water nozzles, bringing material, water and light together within one architectural element.

This investigation began with WaterDot, a modular system in which individual water outlets can be combined according to number, position and function. Instead of working with a fixed shower configuration, designers can determine the layout according to the dimensions and character of the space.

LUME, designed by Davide Vercelli, develops this modular principle through elements made from borosilicate glass, hand blown by Melogranoblu. Available in three heights and with Rain, Energy or Laminar jets, the elements can be arranged in individual compositions. Water and light operate independently, giving designers control over both the function and atmosphere of the shower.

Innovation also takes place at the scale of the mixer. Slide replaces the familiar movement of a lever with a sliding control that changes the interaction between hand, object and water. Awarded the Red Dot Design Award in 2025, the collection demonstrates how a simple gesture can lead to a new mechanical and visual solution. FIMA’s slim and ultra slim mixers follow the same pursuit of precision, reducing dimensions while preserving stability and water performance.

Fima Carlo Frattini now brings together the reliability of an established Italian manufacturer and a more experimental design culture. Precision machined steel, technical ceramic, hand blown glass, modular water outlets and integrated light are not decorative additions. They are functional parts of products designed to participate more fully in the architecture of the bathroom.

FIMA CARLO FRATTINI