Just past the Salone del Mobile, at the end of a nearly mile-long walkway, the biennial Eurocucina kitchen exhibit held court at Milan’s new fairgrounds this past April.
- Josephine Minutillo

Click photos for a closer look.
		Fire island No stranger to the Milan Saloni, architect Zaha Hadid has translated her vision into a futuristic kitchen with the help of DuPont. The Z. Island project consists of two free-standing units. The elongated central unit is devoted to the functions associated with fire; a second, compact unit is dedicated to water. Exploiting the formability and seamlessness of Corian, the units incorporate multimedia equipment, sound actuators, and LEDs within a flowing shell of Corian, enabling users to surf the Internet, listen to music, or use a touch-control panel to adjust the environment, including aroma. DuPont, Wilmington, Del. www.corian.com  [ Reader Service July 2006 # 201 ]
		From kitchen wares to kitchens For decades, Alessi has been a leader in producing high-quality, high-design tools for the kitchen. This year it ventured a step farther by designing the kitchen itself. Coordinated by long-time Alessi collaborator Alessandro Mendini, the project involved several companies: Valcucine provided the furniture; Foster, the sinks, stovetops, and hoods; and the Finnish line Oras provided the faucets. The line comprises four designs, including Trasparente (above), which features doors and drawer panels made of semitransparent glass. Alessi, Crusinallo, Italy. www.alessi.com [ Reader Service July 2006 # 202 ]
		All in one kitchen Not For Food is a concept kitchen by Berloni designed to take a fresh look at conventional ways of using the kitchen for contemporary families and to meet the needs of everyday life in the near future. Created by architect Enzo Eusebi of Nothing Studio, together with Berloni’s design team, Not For Food is an integrated furniture system in carbon fiber that combines sophisticated kitchen functions with features such as seating, a worktop and dining area, the Internet, and music. Berloni, Pesaro, Italy. www.berloni.it [ Reader Service July 2006 # 203 ]
		Force of nature Minimalist master Claudio Silvestrin was inspired by the earth itself when designing Terra, his new kitchen for Minotti Cucine, which combines a rigorous geometry with natural materials like porphyry stone and cedar wood. Similar to the wall units, the imposing figure of the island is uninterrupted; with no visible taps, water flows directly out of the stone sink, and built-in Scholtès appliances are also hidden from view. Minotti Cucine, Verona, Italy. www.minotticucine.it [ Reader Service July 2006 # 204 ]
		Accessible cooking Architect Marco Miscioscia, a designer attentive to the world of the disabled, created the Easy Food kitchen system for Valcucine with ergonomics and safety in mind. The stainless-steel top, made by Bautek, is created from a single mold—food is prepared, cooked, and drained from the same workstation. All wall-hung and corner units are completely accessible to those in wheelchairs. Valcucine, Pordenone, Italy. www.valcucine.it [ Reader Service July 2006 # 205 ]
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