A kitchen model featuring an imposing island structure, whose various functions are expressed through a different material: Tai_O by Key Cucine was designed by Anita Brotto and Nevio Tellatin. “The L-shaped island of Tai_O starts from the idea of enclosing the working area in a U-shaped arrangement, leaving the functions related to conviviality outside,” explain the designers. “The concept of the model was inspired by a Chinese fishing village on an island in Hong Kong, called Tai_O (which means "large inlet"), a microcosm in which every element, natural and constructed, contributes to its sustainability. For the Tai_O model, great attention was also paid to the influence that each element has on the surrounding space and on the experience of daily life in the kitchen, to the point of also involving the living room.”
The concept of Tai_O is based on interconnected functional blocks; each individual block is assigned a role that is revealed through a specific material. “Stone identifies the top and fronts of the operating area with water and “fire”, facing inwards towards the U-shaped space, while wood defines the external surfaces of the storage units that interface with the dining and living areas, a useful place to keep food and store tableware and other items,” the designers explain. “Going into more detail, the stone block is the focus for the main functions of preparation and cooking; it is made of Clauzetto marble, a sedimentary limestone rock smoothed and treated to make it waterproof. The other two blocks that form the L-shaped island are intended as a larder and storage space; the sides facing the living area are in fossil oak finished with water-based paints for a natural effect. The front that visually separates the blocks also looks outwards, covered in metal with a “biotite soft” effect, a paint that is later given a satin finish”.
The materials used and the workmanship are quite special, as is the construction technique of the doors, which has drawn on the know-how and artisanal experience for which Key Cucine is known. “The stone fronts are made with a 2cm-thick slab hollowed out on the inside to reduce its weight and to allow the inclusion of an aluminium honeycomb panel, which allows drilling and installation of the hardware,” say Brotto and Tellatin. “The cabinets alternate lacquer and black-stained brushed oak; the exposed shelves are in brushed oak or have an aluminium structural frame. Meanwhile, the tall sideboards with a light, oriental-inspired design – derived from the Haiku model – are closed off by wooden slatted doors that act as doors to hide the storage room/larder behind, ensuring maximum architectural and visual continuity for the space.”
