'The Fireplace' sparks inspiration at Milan Design Week: Kéré x next125

Sparks of innovation always fly at Milan Design Week. This year is no exception, particularly with next125's installation 'The Fireplace', designed by pioneering architect Diébédo Francis Kéré, winner of the Pritzker Prize 2022. Presented in the Milan Superstudio, Kéré's organic, pantheon-like wooden dome frames the modern, purist aesthetics of a next125 premium kitchen made by Schüller, one of Germany's leading kitchen and furniture manufacturers.

Wood, which fuels fire, is a core material of next125 kitchens, here showcased with dark oak veneer, cool natural stone, and bronzed mirror glass. Mirrored fronts capture the warm radiance of the surroundings, while the worktop and adjoining table are made from grey natural stone. In addition, further next125 kitchens will be presented at Salone del Mobile in Rho at EuroCucina.

Built by the carpenter's workshop 'Stark Inspiration', 'The Fireplace' plays on the coarseness and natural properties of wood. Inside, the dome has a rough, higgledy-piggledy nature, yet outside reveals a well-planned framework. Natural light falls through gaps onto the kitchen, bathing it in an atmospheric glow.

'The Fireplace' is a rich fusion of experimental architecture and exquisite kitchen design. Similar to the traditional fireplaces in Kéré’s homeland of Burkina Faso, next125 kitchens are also meeting places full of warmth and conviviality. 'Working with next125 on 'The Fireplace' immediately took me back to my childhood. I was transported from the Bavarian town of Herrieden to the Burkinan village of Gando, back to my roots so to speak,' says Kéré.

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