Z. Island. A Kitchen Collaboration Between Zaha Hadid, Ernestomeda and Corian.

The multi-sensorial kitchen


"Z.Island" is not simply a project created in order to astonish people and make them talk. The kitchen area conceived by architect Zaha Hadid in collaboration with Ernestomeda and DuPont brings with it concrete innovations that will be useful for future production and that involve the processing of the materials, the structural organisation and the integration of advanced technologies.




Malleable materials, fluid environment
Corian®, the raw material used for the creation, is an exceptionally malleable element that is perfect for meeting the creative requirements of an architect renowned for the complexity of her designs. No longer restricted to isolated elements, such as the worktops or sinks, Corian® has now been used to create an entire kitchen structure (split into two blocks, which are at the same time functional, compact and sleek) and an extensive modular range of cupboards and panelling. The surface is translucent, smooth and fluid, and is as pleasant to look at as it is to touch.




Sophisticated instruments
The cooking island (with hob and hotplate) is extended and curves along the right hand edge; the washing island (with sink, draining area and completely hidden built-in dishwasher) is hexagonal and compact.



The horizontal surface of the former is provided with a scrolling LED script, while there is also a spotlight, an LCD screen and, slightly lower down, an mp3 player, two USB ports and a CD or DVD player. The central working area houses an induction hob, a food preparation area and a hotplate built into the Corian® worktop. Finally, from here it is possible to release special fragrances through three aromatic scent dispensers to permeate throughout the entire kitchen area.

Wall panelling


Complementary wall-mounted cupboards and wall panelling are available: the former made using shaped wavy doors in Corian®, set into an aluminium frame. The wall panels, instead, (alternate flat and shaped Corian® surfaces produced by means of a heat-shaping system) incorporate an advanced sound system and sophisticated LED panel: thus each panel becomes an original source of sounds, music and coloured lights that can filter through the material in the desired sequence.

The touch control panel
Now, sensorial involvementis complete: whoever is doing the cooking can, if they so wish, navigate on the web, download e-mail, watch a film or set up a programme of songs to listen to. Not only: by the use of lighting sequences and the measured release of aromatic essences appropriate for the occasion, it is possible to create fascinating and customised environmental effects.




All the programming is done through a control panel, of the "touch control" type, situated at the centre of the “cooking” area (lit by blue LEDs), from where it is simple to access the kitchen’s multitude of functions.

"Z.Island" at the New York Guggenheim
In 2006 "Z.Island" kitchen has been at the New York Guggenheim Museum’s monographic hall dedicated to the work of Zaha Hadid. In this prestigious venue this extraordinary project has found an ideal exhibition context amongst magnificent paintings, adventurous designs, photos and furnishings that bear testimony of and illustrate the visionary world of this, the only woman ever to have been awarded the Pritzker Prize for architecture.

Z.Island is available on demand at Ernestomeda

Related Links:

• Zaha Hadid
  (http://www.zaha-hadid.com)
• DuPont
  (http://www2.dupont.com)
• Guggenheim Museum’s
  (http://www.guggenheim.org)
• Pritzker Prize
  (http://www.pritzkerprize.com)

Childhood Toy Inspires Award Winning Chair Design, The Aprro Spiro

"I don't believe it. I just don't believe it. The things you can do with a Spirograph" (the commercial theme song from Kenner's Spirograph toy in the mid 70s).

Well, apparently Alexander Purcell believes it. Inspired by the Kenner mathematical design toy, Purcell created an indoor outdoor chair of Corian® and stainless steel for APRRO which was just awarded 'Best Product' at California Home and Design 2010 awards.



The Spiro chair for APRRO:




Alexander Purcell’s Spiro chair is part of a small line of products he and his company APRRO debuted at the 2009 International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York. The clean-lined chair features a raised, heat-formed pattern on its seat, which adds texture and visual articulation to the simple form. It is also notable for its inventive use of Corian, a material that is more commonly found in kitchen countertops and soaking tubs.


above: earlier prototype shown



“With Corian, I can customize the design very easily. The manufacturing technology allows for minimal waste and unlimited options as far as design,” says Purcell, who has also been experimenting with milling the material to create decorative voids, as well as laminating it with various colors. There are currently four different patterns for the chair, all of which are inspired by the spirograph, a favorite of artistically inclined children and mathematicians.




Purcell, who attended architecture school at the University of Cambridge, put a hold on his architecture career in order to travel the globe, throwing parties and dreaming up ad campaigns. But after moving to Santa Monica, he felt the lure of design once again.



He enrolled in the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, and in 2008 decided to start his own company. The chair is Purcell’s ode to the innovations of design technology and the essence of California living: the indoor-outdoor lifestyle. “It’s a chair that was designed to cross over, to exist in that space between indoors and out,” says Purcell.




The subtly elongated shape may reflect a change of pace for Purcell. “This is certainly not a task chair that belongs behind a desk,” he says. “It is a definitely a place to lounge.”