Berlin/Hamburg, June 11, 2010 – The radical functionality of jet fighters and the elegance of supersonic aircrafts like the “Concorde” have inspired the style of the Berlin-based architecture and design office KINZO. For a young family in Hamburg, KINZO has created a kitchen, reflecting the streamlined aesthetics, but also the spatial economics of aircrafts: The upper cabinets are reminiscent of the overhead compartments of aircrafts – and they swing open just the same way.

A polygonal white object seems to hover underneath the ceiling like a space ship from “Star Wars” – it contains the fitted extractor hood and powerful halogen lights that illuminate the central kitchen island. With its sloping walls, angled surfaces and the cantilevered counter top, the kitchen island evokes a jet plane taking off – or a diving board, depending on your viewing angle. Its cantilevered “wing” also serves as a dining table – with an extractable drawer for cutlery and cooking utensils. KINZO emphasises the airy and dynamic look and feel by slightly offsetting the cabinetry from the floor and ceiling. By installing cove lights in these gaps, the kitchen elements seem to “float” weightlessly in space. Dazzling in bright white, clean, cool and aseptic like a laboratory, this kitchen is clearly not designed for romantic souls: surfaces made of Corian, Melamin and HPL are hygienic, practical, robust and convey a sense of value. But first and foremost, the kitchen appears much more spacious than it actually is.

KINZO-Designer Karim El-Ishmawi comments: “We have purposely banned handles or any other visible furniture hardware. Purism, combined with a lot of light, creates the sensation of a generous, spacious interior.” By commissioning KINZO, El-Ishmawi’s clients clearly proved they have a feeling for exclusive and individual style – but also of cost consciousness: the whole project didn’t cost much more than a quality “off-the-peg” fitted kitchen.

For KINZO, the “Jet-Kitchen” in Hamburg is not the first encounter with kitchen design: for a loft conversion project in Berlin, KINZO designed compact kitchen and bathroom “pods”, inspired by the cleverly created functional details (and not the tackiness) of camping caravans. Besides dealing with private interior commissions, KINZO’s main area of work remains commercial projects such as bars and restaurants, pharmacies and retail spaces, but also comprehensive corporate architectural design for publishing houses and corporate head offices.