Ice bucket from 'Input' range
Ice Bucket
1974 (made)
1974 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
In 1972 Airfix Plastics initiated a design programme which aimed to improve the image of plastics from cheap and disposable to high quality and desirable. The business approached Conran Associates, a design subsidiary of Habitat, to design a range of plastic products for the office or home.
The Input range was launched in May 1973 and designed by Conran Associates for Crayonne, a newly established division of Airfix. The range consisted of 21 'containers' including bowls, dishes, trays, bins, vases, pots and an ice bucket which were all made from heavy duty ABS plastic, selected for its strength and scratch and shatter resistance. Gift boxed to elevate their appeal, they were initially produced in four colours: red, yellow, green and white.
The containers were produced to be almost twice as thick as other ABS products through a particularly low rate injection moulding cycle. All the units in the range were based on the same diameter and height ratios to achieve an integrated appearance and were given identification numbers, rather than names. The Royal Free Hospital placed an order of the containers to be used as vases to bring colour and cheer to their wards.
The range won a Design Centre Award and featured in the exhibition British Design 1948–2012: Innovation in the Modern Age at the V&A in 2012.
The Input range was launched in May 1973 and designed by Conran Associates for Crayonne, a newly established division of Airfix. The range consisted of 21 'containers' including bowls, dishes, trays, bins, vases, pots and an ice bucket which were all made from heavy duty ABS plastic, selected for its strength and scratch and shatter resistance. Gift boxed to elevate their appeal, they were initially produced in four colours: red, yellow, green and white.
The containers were produced to be almost twice as thick as other ABS products through a particularly low rate injection moulding cycle. All the units in the range were based on the same diameter and height ratios to achieve an integrated appearance and were given identification numbers, rather than names. The Royal Free Hospital placed an order of the containers to be used as vases to bring colour and cheer to their wards.
The range won a Design Centre Award and featured in the exhibition British Design 1948–2012: Innovation in the Modern Age at the V&A in 2012.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 3 parts.
|
| Title | Ice bucket from 'Input' range (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Plastic (ABS Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene) |
| Brief description | Red 'Input' ice bucket and cover designed by Conran Associates for Crayonne, ABS plastic, 1970-1975 |
| Physical description | Cylindrical orange/red plastic tub, lid with three circular indents, and an insert. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Gallery label |
|
| Credit line | Given by the Manufacturers |
| Object history | Historical significance: Winner of the Design Centre Award in 1974. |
| Historical context | The tension between the idea of plastic as a cheap mass-market substitute for other materials and plastic as an exciting modern design material only began to be resolved in the late sixties with designers using plastic for its own intrinsic qualitites. The glossy, smooth surfaces, generous curves and bright colours on the 'Input' range was a successful attempt to apply high-design principles to plastic kitchenware for everyday use. Plastic reached a peak of popularity in the early 1970s before the ecological implications of long-term disposal made it a less attractive design material. ABS plastic, also used for the production of objects like telephones, Lego and hairdryers, is similar in look and feel to early phenolic plastics. The full 'Input' range of twenty-one items were practical and modular. Most sizes could be bought either with or without lids. Some had optional heat-resistant inserts to create ashtrays. 'Input' was one of the key ranges which re-defined the aesthetic of the kitchen. It was a forerunner of many similar ranges, and long-term commercial success, with wide distribution. It won a Design Council Award in 1974. |
| Summary | In 1972 Airfix Plastics initiated a design programme which aimed to improve the image of plastics from cheap and disposable to high quality and desirable. The business approached Conran Associates, a design subsidiary of Habitat, to design a range of plastic products for the office or home. The Input range was launched in May 1973 and designed by Conran Associates for Crayonne, a newly established division of Airfix. The range consisted of 21 'containers' including bowls, dishes, trays, bins, vases, pots and an ice bucket which were all made from heavy duty ABS plastic, selected for its strength and scratch and shatter resistance. Gift boxed to elevate their appeal, they were initially produced in four colours: red, yellow, green and white. The containers were produced to be almost twice as thick as other ABS products through a particularly low rate injection moulding cycle. All the units in the range were based on the same diameter and height ratios to achieve an integrated appearance and were given identification numbers, rather than names. The Royal Free Hospital placed an order of the containers to be used as vases to bring colour and cheer to their wards. The range won a Design Centre Award and featured in the exhibition British Design 1948–2012: Innovation in the Modern Age at the V&A in 2012. |
| Bibliographic reference | Breward Christopher and Wood, Ghislaine. British design from 1948:Innovation in the Modern Age . London, V&A publishing, 2012. p141. ISBN 978 1 851776740 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | CIRC.111 to B-1977 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | February 2, 2000 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSON
