Some apartment bathrooms are just not big enough to fit a full- or even half-size tub, unless one considers the extra space already required for standing and walking. This clever flip-down solution makes room for lying down in the bath, but retracts when not in use. The space-saving Tulip is a futuristic pod shower that can be used either upright or horizontally depending on your mood and needs.

The (Tulip) name was derived by designer Piotr Pyrtek from the way in which the unit seems to blossom open, as well as the tulip’s versatility in the world of plants. When upright, the enclosure prevents splashing and contains steam for showering. When flipped open, the vertical portion provides a place to lean against along the back surface.

Luxuries are not lost despite the small footprint of this pod within the larger layout – high-powered massagers, underwater jets and other digitally-controlled bathing bonuses are all part of the experience. Finally, the design takes its colors from nature – tulip white and natural green. The design is compact and aesthetically pleasing. Maybe it looks a tad alien, but is that always a bad thing? If only this concept were real, and we could give it a whirl.

Here’s designer Piotr Pyrtek’s bio, from his new company Ekotektura:

“Graduate of the Faculty of Architecture at the Cracow University of Technology and of the Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts. He gained his experience both locally and abroad, where he once managed to see Sir Norman Foster close up, in whose atelier he spent one year. A PhD student at the Cracow University of Technology, the author of at least a dozen patent applications and patents. You can communicate with him without any major problems in English and Italian, and sometimes even in Polish. He has time for everything.”