Alessi pairs up with Valcucine to create a highly adaptable all-in-one kitchen unit designed by Wiel Arets. Rachel Lee-Leong reports.
April 18th, 2012
Tucked away in the basement of the Valcucine showroom at Corso Garibaldi, Milan, LaCucinaAlessi by Valcucine is a sight to behold. A freestanding monolithic Corian unit in Glacier White, the kitchen by Wiel Arets is impressive for its purity of form and highly refined details. More than this, it is a thoughtful response to the way people use their homes and kitchens today. The Dutch architect tells us more:
“The kitchen is, in a lot of new apartments and houses, getting a very prominent position. It should be functional, but it should also have a different position. Maybe you use it in a different way. The question is, ‘How can I make a kitchen that I can use for more than one programme?’
This kitchen is not a traditional kitchen – not a place where you only cook. Here, it is a sculpture in the room. Normally, the kitchen only has one side. You look from the front and that was it. Here, there are four sides. You may stand on one side and store things in the kitchen. On the other side, you can use the storage for the living room, the dining room, maybe even the bedroom. The kitchen is a space for relaxing. It is also a space for communication.
Also, for me, hygiene is very important. So, there are no joints; this kitchen is one smooth surface.
I’m born in Holland – people are very pragmatic, but we also think rooms should be used in free ways. So the kitchen should not be too specific. I have to imagine how someone from Asia or America would react to the product. And I think the idea we have is very adaptable in those countries.”
Valcucine
valcucine.com
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Suitable for applications ranging from schools and retail outlets to computer rooms and X-ray suites, Palettone comes in two varieties and a choice of more than fifty colours.
Marylou Cafaro’s first trendjournal sparked a powerful, decades-long movement in joinery designs and finishes which eventually saw Australian design develop its independence and characteristic style. Now, polytec offers all-new insights into the future of Australian design.
Savage Design’s approach to understanding the relationship between design concepts and user experience, particularly with metalwork, transcends traditional boundaries, blending timeless craftsmanship with digital innovation to create enduring elegance in objects, furnishings, and door furniture.
A Melbourne collective of architects, artists, filmmakers and musicians are exploring the impact of architecture on our society.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Found within the verdant landscape of Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, Sona Reddy’s design for this authentic Andhra restaurant adeptly fuses textural rhythms with traditional materials.
With Milan 2024 only a few weeks away, we sneak a view of some of the most exciting pieces set to go on show – from lighting design to furniture, here are nine preview products.