Arc de Triomphe
11/01/2007
When Antonio Citterio created his highly praised Convivium concept for Arclinea in 2002, the idea was to separate the conventional kitchen into two distinct spaces: one for food preparation and social gatherings; the other concealed behind closed doors for cleanup after the guests have gone. To accommodate the former, the Italian architect and designer created a center island with multiple burners and various under-counter cold- storage drawers—in place of one monolithic refrigerator—to facilitate effortless cooking. He also incorporated an attached table that allows guests to congregate around the chef and enjoy the finished meal without moving the cooking party to the dining room.This year, Citterio revisited his five-year-old Convivium
design and added several important new features, including an adjustable dining
table and an integrated downdraft system to provide greater flexibility.
"The new table has an electronic up-and-down switch to lift it to the same
height as the countertop, 35.5 inches, for additional workspace when preparing
food. Then it can be quickly lowered—to a table height of 30 inches—when you’re
ready to dine," says Philip Guarino, owner and president of Arclinea Boston.
Antonio Citterio’s Convivium kitchen for Arclinea separates the
prep and entertaining areas from the cleanup. New additions to the design
include an adjustable dining table and a downdraft system.
Convivium’s state-of-the-art downdraft system for Arclinea is
operated by a motor that pulls 583 cubic feet of air per minute, which, says
Guarino, is also surprisingly noise-free. The integrated pop-up system is
completely concealed under a sliding-glass cover until the cook manually
accesses it. "It is probably the most sophisticated downdraft system I have ever
seen," notes Guarino, who explains how the system is designed to move up and
slide over the cooking area. "It’s a great feature for people who don’t have the
architectural ability to put a hood above the stove," he says.
In addition to several new finishes, the latest Convivium
is also more eco-friendly than its predecessor. The cabinets can be made of
MDF or HDF (fiberboard) laminates from reconstituted woods and constructed using
glues and paints containing no formaldehyde. Convivium’s stainless steel
countertops are also completely seamless because the metal is wrapped
around —rather than layered on top of—the surface. "So it’s really easy
to clean up," adds Guarino.
Arclinea Boston, 617.357.9777, www.arclineaboston.com