The heated towel rail designed by students Cecilia Gatti, Matilde Marinelli and Lucrezia Pellegrini has won the first edition of the special competition open to students at the NID Nuovo Istituto Design in Perugia.
Nympha, the heated towel rail designed by second-year Product & Interior Design students Cecilia Gatti, Matilde Marinelli and Lucrezia Pellegrini at the NID, has won the first edition of the NID x Scirocco special challenge, organised by Scirocco and the Nuovo Istituto Design Perugia.
Aimed exclusively at third-year Product & Interior Design students, the first edition of the competition focused on the design of a new radiator/towel warmer that successfully combined a range of innovative features, both technical and aesthetic, and that would be suitable for installation in bathroom environments (residential, hospitality, public, retail, etc.).
Nympha is a towel warmer inspired by the lightness of the water lily and the flexible verticality of bamboo stalks. The design is characterised by slender vertical elements that define the main body of the piece and emphasise its grace, balance and visual lightness. Crafted from matt aluminium—a finish chosen to impart a soft, elegant effect that reduces glare and enhances the object’s clean lines—Nympha features integrated shelves that blend naturally into the product, providing functional surfaces for holding towels without disrupting the clean lines of its design. Designed for electric or hydraulic operation with four different installation options (freestanding, wall-mounted, floor-to-ceiling or ceiling-mounted), it successfully combines function, structural balance and organic inspiration, transforming a technical element into an elegant presence that is seamlessly integrated into the space.
“The winning design won us over straight away – say Sabrina Mora and Filippo Arbellia, directors and partners at Scirocco – Even at first glance, you can see the careful thought that went into its conception. The unique nature of its structure, the versatility of its design with its various installation options, as well as the towel-holding feature, secured its ultimate victory over all the other projects, which, in any case, were all of the highest design quality.”
“We are absolutely delighted with Nympha’s victory,” say Cecilia Gatti, Matilde Marinelli and Lucrezia Pellegrini, students at NID – Nuovo Istituto Design Perugia. “For us, this project came about very naturally: we wanted a towel warmer that was lightweight, intuitive, with a simple shape, and that would complement everyday gestures. Nympha perfectly encapsulates our approach to design: attention to detail, care for materials, and a concept of well-being that stems from the little things. We are proud that the project has been understood and appreciated, and this victory confirms that we are on the right track: a design that combines sensitivity, research, and a way of looking at things with care and restraint.”
“The competition represents an extremely interesting point of contact between the academic world and the business world,” emphasises architect Agnese Pierotti, coordinator of the Product & Interior Design course at NID. “Interaction, which underpins our principles, allows students to engage with real technical and production requirements. All our students have worked hard to create pieces of varied inspiration and characteristics: the winning project proved to be an excellent example of elegance at the service of technology and functionality, resulting in a product of absolute identity and creative value.”
