Oblò is the latest extraordinary creation of a company that for over a century has been producing fittings, hardware and accessories for boats and the marine sector in general, featuring high quality and cutting-edge technology. The inner essence of this handle, like all F.lli Razeto & Casareto’s products, is extraordinary because it grew out of collaboration with one of the world’s most important architecture firms, Zuccon International Project led by Martina and Bernardo Zuccon, which has helped write the history of yachting by designing some of the most beautiful boats afloat.
The handle looks simple but is imprinted with stylistic details that allude to one of the best known nautical symbols, the porthole. “I became fascinated by the idea of the porthole,” explains Bernardo Zuccon, “because it’s something that runs through the entire history of ships. The porthole is an archetypal element that defines the relationship between humans and the sea, an aperture that gives us the possibility of seeing, dreaming and fantasizing. Basing myself on this concept, I tried to adapt the typical porthole shape to suggest the image of a handle”.
Materials and technology
Oblò’s sophisticated design conceals what is in fact the state of the art in handles, the result of ongoing research and development that has enabled F.lli Razeto & Casareto to gain international renown as a supplier to top-tier boatbuilders and shipyards.
The first key feature is the material used: an aluminium alloy treated with ESI Antimicrobial System. This innovative metal cluster complex continuously emits silver (Ag+) and other ions but contains no chemical substances. The emission of ions, which does not require any power supply, has an antimicrobial action on objects and the surrounding environment, continually disinfecting treated surfaces in total safety. Thanks to ESI, the handles cannot be contaminated by fungi, bacteria or viruses and act as a sanitizer for users’ hands when touched and for the surrounding environment. Effectiveness against coronaviruses has been confirmed by the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Virology Laboratory and by the Universities of Genoa and Siena, as well is being certified by RINA in accordance with its Biosafe Ship additional class notation referring to surfaces with a high rate of use.
Oblò’s other key feature is derived from the innovative OSSH series handles recently launched by F.lli Razeto & Casareto for marine applications. Oblò handles are luminous (using LEDs) and equipped with OSSH Network technology, an integrated smart access system that connects all the handles to any automation system installed on the yacht. They use light and colours to provide information about onboard hospitality and management services and also perform OSSH system safety functions in the event of a power failure or any other onboard alarm conditions.
Oblò has a clean, linear design but makes use of highly complex technology, a fact that signals a very important theme for the Rome-based firm: illusion. “We put a huge amount of work into hiding the things that aren’t meant to be seen, because the project set various constraints that I had to try to conceal so the object looks absolutely traditional.”
Handle shapes and dimensions were optimized for use in an unsteady environment like a boat, while the overall design had to deliver the flexibility needed to adapt to various different market requirements, including a high degree of customization. “Even so,” adds Bernardo Zuccon, “glass was inevitably the preferred choice of material for effectively evoking the image of a porthole”.
“Working with Bernardo and Martina Zuccon has been a source of great pride and satisfaction for us,” says Giangi Razeto, head of Research & Development at F.lli Razeto & Casareto, “because they understood the essence of our business by studying our origins - we supplied portholes to some of the great Atlantic liners, such as the Raffaello - and created an elegant and timeless look for an object that embodies cutting-edge technology in the field of boat handles”.