Linked to the passion for cooking: in conversation with Arclinea

Our newest partner, Code, is known as a distributor of Italian design furniture, but they also offer unparalleled expertise and a customer-centric approach alongside an astonishing top-notch brand collection. Their renovated 1,400 sqm showroom is one of Europe’s largest multi-brand stores, home to the stunning products of premium brands like Minotti, B&B Italia, Maxalto, Cassina, Porro and Antonio Lupi.

Among the top brands they represent, the Italian Arclinea stands out, which has grown from a small woodworking workshop to become a prominent player in the world of high-end design. They are preparing for their debut at the Kitchen Show with a breathtaking piece that you will soon be able to see in the Budapest Arena. Until then, learn more about the story and design philosophy of the fabulous Arclinea from our interview!

The company was founded almost a hundred years ago as a specialist wood-workshop, named after founder Silvio Fortuna Senior. However, the Arclinea brand was born later, in 1960. How did a small family business turn into one of the most prestigious kitchen brands over the years?

The history of the Fortuna family is linked to the passion for cooking. Silvio Fortuna Senior, prior to becoming a carpenter and reopening, in 1925, the artisan shop that his great-grandfather had started in 1816 and closed during the World War I, grew up “living and breathing” the dishes of the trattoria (traditional restaurant) ’Alla Vittoria’, owned by his parents. When the carpentry’s production began to develop and establish itself, following the involvement of the three heirs, Angelo, Almerino and Lena into the company, there was a vocation to go beyond the craftsmanship dimension. The result was the conception of the first modular kitchen made entirely of natural wood in 1958, named Thea: characterized by great aesthetic impact and a clear detachment from the enameled metal (a common material used in those days for kitchens production).

What are the main characteristics of Arclinea kitchens?

Among all the rooms in the home, the kitchen is the most complex and fascinating. It is the place where cuisine and conviviality, high-performance materials and cutting-edge technologies all merge into one. Arclinea’s response to this complexity has always been to combine technical and practical precision, innovation in form and space, with the aim of not only producing equipment and furniture, but also creating a new concept of cooking and living spaces.

Arclinea’s innovations, in the service of a design approach that embraces change, anticipate the evolution of cooking spaces, with which Arclinea aims to keep alive the great Italian tradition, reworked through a more precise design of functions, materials, shapes and everyday living spaces.

In 2018, Arclinea, with B&B Italia, Flos and Louis Poulsen, became part of Design Holding, the largest European top-end design group. What are the common values connecting these brands?

The core values are innovation and quality, which are common to all the Group’s brands, followed by the complementary nature of the products and production, the ability to relate design with tradition and innovation in a unique way. Synergy is a key word that immediately appeared on the contractual and commercial side. On one hand, for large-scale projects, the kitchen "helps" the living space and the living space "helps" the kitchen. On the other hand, the ongoing dialogue and joint effort to create a commercial network can reap benefits for all.

The Arclinea communication campaign in 1985 put the kitchen firmly back in the ‘center’ of the home. Since then, our lifestyle has changed a lot, as has our perception of the ‘perfect’ kitchen. In your opinion, has there been a shift in the role of kitchens since the beginning of the pandemic?

Certainly, the pandemic has triggered a necessary deepening of the role of the kitchen and the spaces of the whole house. The change in daily behaviors induced by the pandemic has helped to reflect on the design of the spaces themselves, defining them as much as possible in terms of flexibility, integration, with a focus on multifunctionality. But the kitchen still remains the fulcrum, the crossroads of the home, the meeting place: before, during, after the pandemic.

Arclinea has been working together with world-renowned architect and designer Antonio Citterio since 1986. How would you describe the collaboration?

Antonio Citterio’s relationship with Arclinea since 1986, based on his absolute knowledge of materials, processes and technologies, has led to a truly unique way of conceiving, designing and manufacturing kitchens, following the logic of "total quality". The result is the creation of innovative "Concept" products, designed to solve each technical problem in the most formal and functional way possible, resulting in ever more creative, personalized and liveable kitchens. Arclinea’s mission has always been to create designs that stand the test of time, ahead of and above trends.

Do you have a personal favorite Arclinea collection, innovation or product?

Italia is probably my favorite Arclinea model, because it marks the first ever “Concept” designed by Antonio Citterio. It was in fact a translation of the professional kitchen into the home, a new milestone in the Arclinea world, which later became part of the Arclinea Collection in the early 2000s. As already mentioned, Arclinea’s aim has always been to develop products that withstand the test of time, and Italia is still one of the most popular and sought-after kitchen models today.

What are you planning to bring to Kitchen Show Budapest?

Arclinea is preparing a special Lignum et Lapis Marble island combined with wooden doors for this year’s Kitchen Show, with one of the three most noble finishes: Calacatta Oro marble for the island, American Walnut and PVD Champagne for the front doors. The perfect combination of colors and finishes gives nobility to the sculptural island, also designed by Antonio Citterio in 2008, of course.

Explore the magical world of Arclinea kitchens courtesy of CODE Showroom at the Kitchen Show between 22-24 April at the Budapest Arena! We look forward to welcoming you with love and fantastic novelties at the greatest kitchen-themed event of the year. Until then, get your discounted tickets here, and join us on Facebook and Instagram!