2018 is the year of Eurocucina and the top kitchen brands pulled out all the stops for the major event dedicated to the world of cooking and kitchens.
This time around, we’re not at the city’s fairgrounds, but at Fuorisalone, in the center of Milan, at the showrooms of Arclinea, Boffi, and Dada (where Bulthaup curated a space presenting their innovative new project).
It was the perfect opportunity to discover and ever-evolving kitchen, and visitors at the international affair felt the same way. Massive crowds made their way about the kitchen to uncover the new lifestyles, technologies, and aesthetics replacing the traditional style.
After transforming the domestic kitchen into an equipped professional kitchen, new projects in the modern kitchen focus especially on creating a shared environment to enjoy.
For some time now, the kitchen has begun its integration with the rest of the house and the modern kitchen continues to grow more refined and hi-tech among prized appliances and precious materials. The kitchen has become a social area to live each moment of the day, where the family comes together and where friends are hosted to share experiences.
Among the diverse collections presented at Milan Design Week 2018, there seems to be a trend towards flexible and modular kitchens, adapting to any given space with more articulate compositions. At the same time, brands are making a clear effort to simplify the various rituals surrounding food and its preparation.
Just look at Via Durini 7, home to the new Arclinea flagship store inaugurated during Milan Design Week 2018. The brand is consistently pushing to change the spaces of modern kitchens and this year they teamed up with Antonio Citterio. The design maestro helped coordinate and design spaces inspired by the functionality and rationality of a professional kitchen, reflected in formally refined aesthetics and high-quality materials.
All’interno dei 450 mq, sei ambienti cucina minuziosamente studiati rivelano l’esclusività dei progetti Arclinea.
Inside the 450 square meters, six kitchen environments were studied down to the last detail, showcasing the exclusivity of the Arclinea projects. If 30 years ago, the brand introduced the Italia brand in steel, typical of the workstations in professional kitchens, now their research for a contemporary solution has led to the creation of Convivium. Together with the Closet system, spaces are enclosed with retractable doors to isolate the areas dedicated to service.
This allows for an open, shared space dedicated to socializing to be uninterrupted by the technical equipment when not in use.
Modern kitchens from Arclinea are also architectural devices used to divide domestic spaces. Thanks to the new Closet configuration, a volume covered in wood panelling closed with Modus doors features a horizontal opening to organize according to you needs.
At Boffi, one of the top brands for kitchen design, the space in Via Solferino celebrates its 20th anniversary, offering a sneak peek at Combine, the new collection by Piero Lissoni.
The program includes the pairing of single units that separately address functions like cooking, washing, and preparation. These elements can be combined, as the name suggests, in multiple configurations that go from simple linear islands to more complex, zig-zag forms.
The Boffi kitchen is completed with a rectangular or square dining table on wheels, which changes positions depending on its use to vary the form of the kitchen. Various heights among the single units creates a dynamic and diverse space to be customized.
Even the workstation changes appearance thanks to the new flared profile, conceived to integrate operational functions and to support the use of various accessories like cutting boards, grills, and containers.
Hideaway hoods and faucets are raised and lowered to disappear when not in use for a completely free and ordered worktop.
With an essential aesthetic, Combine is topped with a luxurious finish: quality woods, Carrara Marble, or Avola stone, and the new Lithoverde, made of 99% recycled marble.
Boffi also proposes K-6, revisiting the historic model designed by Norbert Wangen as one of the first modern disappearing kitchens. In the new version, entirely in wood, the tabletop doesn’t slide side to side, but rather moves forward to reveal the technical workspace below, while simultaneously providing a bar to work or sit at.
At the showroom in Corso Europa 2, designed by Vincent Van Duysen, high-quality kitchens from Dada are on display. The new curation was made specifically to highlight the brand’s modern kitchens, designed by big names like Luca Meda, Dante Bonuccelli, and Nicola Gallizia.
The environments, which allow the high-quality to be completely appreciated, lean towards soft hues and relaxing spaces. The Prime model by Dada can be seen through various modular combinations pairing top of the line materials like marble and solid oak with chromatic nuances. Meanwhile, by optimizing overhead spaces, the workspaces below remain free of clutter.
A more informal approach is found in the former church of San Campoforo in Brera, chosen by Bulhaup for the debut of b.architecture, the German brand’s latest revolution in the kitchen. At the center of the project is the idea of socialization, interpreted through the transformation of elements to exalt moments shared around food, from preparation to eating.
The curation looks to offer a 360° panorama of the project’s cardinal elements, which interact between one another.
To highlight the compositional flexibility of the system, a team of cooks led by starred chef Toruh Nakamura take their places at the various positions in the kitchen, arranged in diverse configurations. Cabinet units are also paired with the layout, featuring extractable or swiveling drawers.
Straight from a fresco, long tables to socialize will have you feeling right at home. In the b.architecture version, furnishings set the tone for locations to share quality food as well as welcome groups.
At the center of the wood tabletop, is a steel plate dividing the refrigerated areas and the heating trays, both of which are managed with simple devices. Above the table, a decorative panel with shelving space is included along with a water dispenser and further lighting for the working surface.
