At Milan Design Week 2026, revered Italian architect Claudio Silvestrin unveils etherea, a futuristic kitchen concept for minotticucine by asso group. Its organic shape and ivory tone set a new standard for how kitchens might look in the future, while establishing a refined, suspended dialogue with V-ZUG’s pearl-coloured appliances.
Claudio Silvestrin studied under A.G. Fronzoni in Milan and at the Architectural Association in London. Established in 1989, his practice today has offices in London and Milan. Silvestrin’s vision, inventiveness and interest in philosophy are reflected in his distinctive architecture: austere but not extreme, elegant but not ostentatious, contemporary yet timeless. Throughout his career, he has received several international awards, including a Gold Medal award for Italian Architecture at the Milan Triennale.
«I drew inspiration from Mother Nature. One of the absolute laws in nature is that there are no right angles. This allows energy to flow. Everything is in motion. Otherwise, we would not be alive.» Claudio Silvestrin
Etherea deliberately breaks away from the rigid man-made sharp corners and the machine-made look to embrace a sinuous form that appears like a stone or a sculpture suspended in the air, as its name suggests. The cupboard doors concealing the kitchen appliances feature rounded protrusions, designed to break up the flat monotony, typical of standard cabinetry. The traditional idea of the kitchen as a separate room vanishes, making way for an entirely new object — beautiful and innovative — that could just as easily be placed in the living room.
The island’s joints transform into curved lines, reminiscent of the veins of a human body. The tall unit doors lose their traditional static presence, becoming fluid volumes that conceal kitchen functions and merge aesthetics with technology in a harmonious gesture. Corian is not intended merely as a technical material, but as a bridge between vision and function: mouldable and thermoformable, it allows continuity between worktop, doors, and island, dissolving the boundaries between surface and volume.
Claudio Silvestrin chose V-ZUG’s CookTop V6000 FullFlex and CombairSteamer V6000 in pearl to complement the ivory tones of etherea. The two colours establish a refined dialogue with the light wood cabinet surfaces, emphasising a sense of harmony and gentleness that pervades the space, inspired by the perfection of nature.
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CombairSteamer V6000 60
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