designer kitchen & bathroomdesignerkbmag.co.uk

MAY2018

d30KITCHENS / MILAN

d31KITCHENS / MILAN

MAR2015

designer kitchen & bathroomdesignerkbmag.co.uk

MAY2018

New Vision THE LATEST PRODUCT OF A FRUITFUL LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN ITALIAN KITCHEN BRAND SNAIDERO AND DESIGN POWERHOUSE PININFARINA IS THE BREATHTAKING VISION. WE SPOKE TO PAOLO PININFARINA ABOUT HIS LATEST MASTERPIECE…

One of the reasons that Snaidero’s stand at each edition of Eurocucina is always so crowded with visitors is due

in no small part to the brand’s reputation for delivering talking points. The long-term collaborations with a number of established designers are key to that, and none more so than its partnership with iconic design studio Pininfarina.

Their latest creation was presented in Milan last month and it is perhaps their most beautiful and meaningful to date. The new kitchen, Vision, combines all

the other-worldly futurism and beguiling curves of past projects, but with an added air of practicality that makes this more of a true and realistic kitchen than those that have gone before.

Paolo Pininfarina, Chairman of Pininfarina, and designer of each of the kitchens in the partnership between the two brands, told Designer Kitchen & Bathroom: “We knew that we had designed a fantastic product when we created Ola, the Ola 20 and the Ola 25. That range is an icon but we wanted to make something completely different that represents a new era and a new vitality. This is a new vision of Pininfarina design that is very much functional, real, and sustainable.

In the past, our other kitchens have been more high-end, or special concepts like the Acropolis. These are design exercises and they are always to have limited success commercially. This time, we have had the opportunity to make something important for Snaidero as an industrial company, something that is a real product in every way.”

“It is not only a product that you see, it is a product that you live with and a product that you touch. The materials and the finishes of the cabinets are all tactile. The design expresses the contemporary technology but it is harmonious. The image of the ‘V’ with the slope of the leg on the kitchen island,

and hidden corners where you can put objects but they are partially hidden – these are all elements that I like because it is a kitchen that you can discover.”

Quite apart from the eye-catching form, the use of materials is exquisite. The base unit is available in walnut-stained ash wood and in stainless steel. In addition to the advanced technology used in its construction, it features an integrated silicone LED strip, bringing a striking visual impact.

“Materials have always been one of the strong points of our partnership with Snaidero,” explains Pininfarina. “During our work together, we have really been

pioneers of new materials and new treatments in the kitchen – such as the metallic paints we introduced in the Ola 18 years ago. No-one back then was transferring this kind of technique from the automotive sector into kitchen production before we did it. With Vision, we have again incorporated revolutionary finishes and materials such as nanotechnology and smart surfaces which are not being used elsewhere.”

“Selecting the very best materials is essential; using simple and elegant materials is important, but not too many materials. Vision uses just four materials and that is really the optimal number. The wood I particularly like;

designer kitchen & bathroomdesignerkbmag.co.uk

MAY2018

MAR2015

designer kitchen & bathroomdesignerkbmag.co.uk

MAY2018

d32KITCHENS / MILAN

d33KITCHENS / MILAN

Contacts Snaidero / snaidero.comPininfarina / pininfarina.com

Paolo Pininfarina: “I don’t like edges. The design has

to be friendly, it has to be smiling, and not aggressive

or brutal. A kitchen has to be functional, and safe for the

whole family, so I don’t like to see edges or sharp corners.”

the treatment of the ash wood enables it to be sculpted and configured so beautifully and allows for the smooth and seamless integration of the LED lights within the wood. This is very simple, very technical, but not too minimal.”

“Accessible, sustainable, economical – this is a kitchen to support Snaidero’s commercial growth over the next 10 years. It is not a design concept; it is very real, and the reality is better than the drawing.”

IT IS NOT ONLY A PRODUCT THAT YOU SEE, IT IS ONE THAT YOU LIVE WITH AND ONE THAT YOU TOUCH… I AM PARTICULARLY HAPPY WITH THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE THIS TIME

The hood at the centre of the space features the distinctive mark of the entire design; the tangential extractor hood is combined with a wooden shelf, in keeping with the design of the base unit of the island counter