“Opera and Ozone are “kitchen-objects” with free, artistic shapes that focus on emphasising the expressiveness of the material. Functionally real and realistic, they were developed according to precise formal characteristics and different concepts, and are always the focus of attention in the space that hosts them”, says architect Massimo Castagna speaking of his two latest kitchen projects designed for Henge, two artistic masterpieces for cooking made of natural stone.
Long-time architect and designer, Castagna transfers his approach to kitchen design to these two sculptural models, an expression of his idea of the uniqueness of kitchen design, created ad hoc and made up of elements that can be combined. Both are made from blocks of different sizes and in such a way that the fronts and tops are one; the aim was indeed to achieve continuity in the veining between the stone slabs and the perfect creation of the joins.
"Each kitchen is made by adapting the characteristics of the model to the required design, including the identification of the stone slab that the customer can choose from the stone gallery of this company, which prides itself on offering an exceptional selection of materials”. So these are custom-designed kitchens, each one identified by a specific concept.
“Ozone was created for an interior design project; the two interacting faceted stone blocks appear solid, with veining that follow the geometric patterns. The doors cut into the façade shun the classic conjunction between vertical surfaces. Always and only designed as an island, Ozone can be created in various sizes, verifying the proportions and dimensions of the facets each time. Ozone is a sculpture: each block and each kitchen is a unique piece.
Opera - presented in the showroom during MDW '24 - is the result of the same idea and is based on similar construction criteria. A characteristic of Opera is the processing of different volumes combined and connected to each other by elements “hollowed out” of solid stone. Opera is more rigorous and squared than Ozone and more adaptable to the dimensions of the available space, also because multiple blocks of various sizes can be combined.
There are, however no mandatory dimensions or material standards, and functions can be assigned to each kitchen project, as required. Henge kitchens shun all ideas of standardisation, the usual industrial construction and kitchen management procedures, as a universally adaptable “system”. In this sense they stand in contrast to traditional modular kitchens, where the furnishings present the highest degree of standardisation in terms of modules, appliances, accessories and hardware, so much so that they seem to resemble each other, “slavishly” following a “consolidated production habit and a limited use of materials”.
