Caesarstone has returned to Milan’s Fuorisalone for the 6th time, this year to unveil Altered States, the highlight event of their 2018 designer collaboration programme with New York-based collaborative practice Snarkitecture. Being that it is the year of Eurocucina, which takes place biennially, this year’s collaboration explores the core theme of the kitchen island.
“Our starting point was the Kitchen Island, which has transformed from a functional cooking area into the hub of the modern home, a space for entertainment, social interaction and performance,” says Eli Feiglin, VP of Marketing at Caesarstone. “We asked Snarkitecture to create an installation that will inspire architects and designers to think about the future of the kitchen and use our material in new ways.”
Snarkitecture looked at water as the most important “ingredient” in the kitchen, drawing inspiration from its changing states in nature (glacier, river, geyser) and in the kitchen (ice, water, steam) to create Altered States.
The installation is currently being showcased at the faded grandeur of Palazzo dell’Ufficio Elettorale di Porta Romana, open to the public now for the first time during this year’s Milan Design Week. Visitors of the installation are guided through an immersive experience of a conceptual kitchen island.
At the centre of the space, a large circular kitchen island, made of Caesarstone White Attica, explores the changing states of water – ice, liquid and steam – at different stations. Caesarstone surfaces are used in layers, referencing natural topography as a metaphor for nature.
Surrounding the main “arena” is an amphitheater made up of over 250 Caesarstone and metal mesh pedestals using three different Caesarstone colors from their new industrial collection, Metropolitan: Cloudburst Concrete, Airy Concrete and Rugged Concrete to create a white to grey, monochromatic gradient, rising to emulate the appearance of a natural landscape.
“Our aim for the Milan version of Altered States is to use ice, water, and steam to create a mesmerizing collective experience around a kitchen island that has been designed around these simple elements,” explains Snarkitecture. “We took Caesarstone surfaces and turned them into something voluminous and engaging, further highlighting the strength and flexibility of the material. We look forward to inviting visitors to an incredible site in Milan, to explore, and interact within an unexpected and memorable environment.”
Altered States is currently open to the public until April 21, at Palazzo dell’Ufficio Elettorale di Porta Romana, Corso di Porta Romana 10, 20122, Milan.
all images © David Zanardi