Tube fabricator supplies exotic handrail systems

All images provided by Timeless Tube

Commercial buildings tend to come in two varieties: rectangular and interesting. Unless rectangular buildings are constructed to great heights and provide spectacular views, they don't offer much beyond utilitarian functions and perhaps unparalleled efficiency.

That said, many architects challenge the orthodoxy, dreaming up architectural concepts that are visually captivating and sometimes awe-inspiring. It's not much of a stretch to say that in some cases, a view of the building is as compelling as a view from the building.

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York), designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is based on a series of circular elements, while Zurich Insurance Group's North American headquarters building (Schaumburg, Ill.), designed by Goettsch Partners, uses elements that are mainly rectangular combined in an unforgettable way. Architects such as Frank Gehry go all out, shedding conventional thinking and creating exteriors that have no discernable pattern or predictability, such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles) or the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum (Bilbao, Spain).

What happens when a designer challenges the shapes used for the components and materials that go into these buildings, switching regular shapes for the less conventional? Handrails, air vents, and door handles are everyday objects that elevate our experience of a building or situation to some degree, even though we may not be conscious of it. This is the ambition of Timeless Tube, Poole, England, a fabrication company that, in its own small way, changed the world of tubing in the late 1980s when it fabricated the world's first-ever stainless steel oval tubes. Since then, Timeless has continued to produce pioneering tube products for diverse applications, always conscious of the motto it created for itself: "beautifully engineered shaped metal tubing."

The company's vision is to make the world a more beautiful place. To that end, it uses shaped metal tubing that transforms ordinary, functional structures into striking, design-led pieces.

"We take inspiration from the great American industrial designer Charles Eames, who famously said, ‘The details are not the details. They make the design,’" said Managing Director and Head Engineer Tom McMillan.

"This ethos is carried though all of our work," he continued. "We want to make a contribution to great design with our tubes, whether that is for architecture, furniture, or something entirely mechanical."

Timeless Tube has more than three decades of experience in developing unusual handrail designs. Its original offering, oval tubes and unique joiners, was used as handrail for a yacht. Made from highly polished 316L stainless steel to withstand abrasive marine conditions, this pioneering product was quickly embraced by marine architects across the world. The elegant oval shape was not only aesthetically more pleasing than round tube, but it boasted safety advantages of being less prone to slippage when gripped by crew and passengers.

"Luxury yachts are all about the attention to detail," McMillan said. "The design values are centered around impeccable quality and ease of use. Our tubing is used by the world's most prestigious yacht makers. Naval architects are especially discerning—they won't compromise on details. Our oval tubing is enduringly popular, and for good reason."

Still, Timeless looks to create new shapes as long as they offer advantages over round tubing and provide clear benefits to end users. The company recently fabricated a new shaped tube for grab rails on luxury tender boats: a square-radius tube. This robust yet refined shape is sturdy but with a slim projection so that it doesn't protrude too much. Hands fit comfortably and securely around the shape, with its gently curved edges.

A tube doesn't need to be lengthy to make a statement. This short grab bar on a small yacht provides an elegant touch.

Timeless engineers have now developed six unique tubing profiles, including two variations of twisted tube. Most of the company's products are made from 304L and 316L stainless steels, although the engineers work with aluminum, titanium, and copper alloys as well. The only alloy they don't use is mild steel because it doesn't resist corrosion and therefore contaminates the stainless steel.

"Besides, most of the applications we supply for are high-end, whether they are decorative, structural, or mechanical," McMillan said. "Mild steel may be cheaper, but it has its limitations for the applications that we work on."

However, this doesn't mean that Timeless restricts its work to these six main shapes. A recent project involving an arena gave the company's engineers an opportunity to show off some creativity and innovation.

In 2019 Timeless provided shaped handrail for a walkway at the top of a prestigious UK Premiership football club stadium. The walkway provides a panoramic view of north London from 130 ft., where members of the public can walk across the exposed platform while attached to a safety cord, with the added security of a sturdy rail.

But sourcing this stainless steel handrail proved to be tricky for the architects because of its unusual specification: It had to be large enough to fit over the top of a steel box section that secured stainless steel mesh panel sides to the glass walkway. They needed a nonstandard tube with an attractive appearance, contoured rather than angular, and shaped so it could have a slot laser-cut down its underside.

The architects eventually found Timeless Tube, which provided a solution of flat-sided oval tubing with clean, rounded lines. It is a tube shape that few engineers fabricate, yet it has some clear advantages over round tube. "It is our strongest tube shape," McMillan said. "And it is really useful if further fabrication is needed, as it's easy to weld to other elements such as spindles and glass or automotive parts, thanks to its flat sides," he said.

To cover the steel section, the architects needed this tubing in a size far larger than was currently available. A small and therefore nimble company, Timeless doesn't have to deal with the burdens of large operations and high-volume production, so it can dedicate time and effort to create prototypes and custom sizes for its clients.

When creating new sizes, it is not always possible for Timeless to achieve the exact dimensions requested by clients because those measurements might not produce tube with structural integrity, or the tube might not resemble the shape required. After adjusting the ratio between ovalizing and flattening, Timeless achieved a tube measuring 7.67 by 3.3 in. (195 by 85 mm) with a wall thickness of 0.118 in. (3 mm). The long dimension was just 0.40 in. (10 mm) narrower than the dimension originally specified.

"We form our tube by cold drawing lengths of standard round tubing through shaped rollers," McMillan said. "The process of forming tube is somewhat of an art. It is by no means a case of us simply ‘crushing’ the tube. Once we have made a size that we know works, we calibrate all the settings so we are able to replicate that exact size time and time again. But with a new size … well, we never know quite how it is going to behave for us. And different metals produce different results. It requires experimentation."

It is not often that Timeless tube needs to be customized for use as a decorative shroud for structural architecture, because it is already structurally very strong.

Timeless Tube's product line comprises six shapes: flat oval, oval, twisted oval, twisted radiused square, radiused square, and D. The line includes common sizes specified by construction codes for handrails, generally 32 to 50 mm (1.25 to 2 in.), plus many other sizes.

"In the UK we have extremely strict handrail requirements in terms of the structure and material used, which we more than meet," McMillan said. "We have even staged rigorous deflection tests that prove that this flat-sided oval tube is 54% stronger than standard round tube. But this rail was really less of a handrail, and more a ‘body rail’ to comfortably lean against," he said.

Timeless's work is featured on or in several iconic structures and buildings, including the handrail on Foster + Partners’ famous footbridge, also known as the Millennium Bridge, as well as the futuristic Underground station inside London's Canary Wharf. Ron Arad specified the use of Timeless's oval tubing in the atrium of the revered Tel Aviv Opera House, a building often featured in books about architecture.

"It doesn't make sense to design such sleek buildings and then finish them with standard round tubing," he said. "I think the best architects realize this, which is why we enjoy an international client base."

In April 2020 Montana-based interior designer Gigi Aelbers, owner of Synergigi, bought 5.8 m (20 ft.) of 316L stainless steel oval tubes and eight joiners from Timeless to use as table legs for a custom-made coffee table commission.

In a style Aelbers describes as "organic and geometric combined," the commission comprised two stunning asymmetrical tabletops—one made from black walnut and the other from white oak—mounted to pieces of oval tubing connected in a continuous U-shape. Aelbers needed to ensure that her client's exquisite rug wouldn't be obscured by chunky table legs. She needed elegant, unobtrusive tubes to make the rug as visible as possible. She ordered samples from Timeless to ensure she had the correct-sized tube.

"The ratio of things is very important in design," Aelbers said.

Architectural steel fabricator Daniel Boteler used the joiners to connect the tubes at the corners, which he says was "easier than making 45 degrees on the saw" and allowed for a better finish. The welding was smoother, as it was a straight weld as opposed to a corner weld. With 20 years’ experience in metal fabrication, Boteler said he would be happy to work with shaped metal tube again.

"It is nice to have options other than the same old generic round tube," he said.

The tubular table legs were sandblasted to create a raw, textured look. Aelbers applied paint and beeswax to create a "bomb-proof" coating in metallic colors that she had mixed herself. When asked why she went to such lengths to find the right shaped tubing, Aelbers explained: "It's all in the subtleties. Most people will notice that they like it but they don't really know why, unless they are very visual. It's something that's new to the eye—the subconscious probably knows that it's new. They know it doesn't look like the picnic table in the park," she said.

From Tokyo to Topeka, Timeless regularly supplies tubing across the world, with North America as its biggest international market. McMillan concludes that clients cannot get the same shapes and sizes, or the same quality, elsewhere.

Tom McMillan, managing director and head engineer at Timeless Tube, checks a wall thickness.

"Obviously there are shipping costs to factor in, but if quality is paramount, this is an expense worth incurring," he said.

In addition to contemporary projects such as Synergigi's tables, Timeless is seeing a resurgence in traditional styling too. The company's designers are called upon frequently to replicate or restore metalwork with an old-fashioned feel. Almost sculptural, their signature twisted oval and square tubes are reminiscent of 17th century spiral-twist furniture.

"Our twisted tubes have been used in artwork, sculptures, and high-end lighting design, as well as custom balustrades," McMillan said. "In an age of robotized production, I believe people want to see craftsmanship. Artists and designers are realizing that they can enhance their designs with our tubes."

Beyond architecture and decorative applications, other opportunities await. In any urban or suburban area, anywhere society uses infrastructure, McMillan sees applications to add a sense of refinement to replace the mundane or unappealing.

"I love the idea of using tubing to creatively disguise unattractive air vents, or to add flair to a functional staircase," he said. "We believe that aesthetically, ergonomically, and sometimes structurally, a shaped and crafted length of tube is a superior alternative to typical round tubing."

Jessica Rees is a marketing consultant with Marketing By the Sea for client Timeless Tube.