Photographs: Asier Rua and Nuel Puig.
Interior design project.
Experiencing the kitchen as a grand spectacle—that is precisely what I proposed with this project for Franke, presented at the 2023 edition of ADN Forum by Lexus in Plaza de Colón, Madrid. From the outset, I knew I wanted to transform a shipping container into a unique setting where the kitchen would cease to be a functional space and become the living heart of the home, a place where design and innovation come together to excite and surprise. It’s not just about creating a kitchen, but about creating an experience that invites you to enjoy it with all your senses.
The proposal was born out of a desire to break the mould without losing the elegance that I always seek in my work. I chose an intense, pure and uncompromising black to cover the walls, ceilings and floors. This darkness is not an obstacle, but a tool to focus attention on the essential: the beauty and precision of each Franke piece. The black envelops the space like velvet, creating an almost theatrical atmosphere of mystery and sophistication. Walking through this interior, you feel completely immersed, enhanced by the black Tarkett carpet that adds a sense of comfort and tranquillity that invites you to pause and enjoy the presence of the design.
In this enclosed and seemingly austere space, the kitchen comes to life with the Mythos collection, a selection that represents cutting-edge technology and functionality taken to the highest level. Each element is designed to blend in seamlessly, making it intuitive and fluid to use, without barriers. The wine cooler with a removable oak tray is one of those details that I love, because it speaks of an everyday ritual elevated to art, where storing and serving wine is a careful and refined act. The hob with an integrated, almost invisible hood plays with the idea of disappearing to let the kitchen breathe without visual interruptions. The steam oven, with its automatic cleaning system, invites you to explore new ways of cooking, making technique an ally rather than a complication.
But it’s not all about cold technology and precision; warmth and soul are embodied in every little detail. The lighting, for example, designed with Eflux, plays with indirect light to draw shadows and enhance volumes, creating an enveloping atmosphere that changes according to the time of day and intensity. The Elaia lamps by The Masie, in their elegant black aluminium finish, are sculptural pieces that, without raising their voices, reinforce the monochromatic language of the space. I like to think that light in a space should not only illuminate, but also narrate, provoke sensations and accompany the rhythm of everyday life.
One of the aspects I enjoy most about the project are the two central islands, covered in black vegan leather. The feel and texture of this material provide an interesting contrast to the rest of the surfaces and reflect a commitment to sustainability without sacrificing luxury and innovation. This plant-based leather adds a tactile dimension that invites you to come closer and touch, to experience the kitchen with your senses. But the real revolution lies in the swivel capability of these islands, a patented rotating system that allows each one to turn 360 degrees with a simple push. This mobility transforms the space into a mutable canvas, adapting to the needs of the moment, the company or the mood. It is a play of volumes and movements that makes cooking dynamic, even fun, and speaks of a design that does not remain static but evolves with the user.
At its core, this project is a celebration of the kitchen as a place for gathering, creativity and life. It is no coincidence that the installation includes special effects such as smoke and disco lights, which transform the act of preparing a meal into a show that goes beyond the merely functional. I am fascinated by how the kitchen can be a stage where everyday emotions intertwine, where technique and sensitivity come together to create something unique. And doing so in an open-air shipping container in the heart of Madrid adds an urban and contemporary contrast that intensifies the experience.
It is not just a kitchen; it is a proposal that challenges how we live today, how we relate to space and objects, how technology and design can dialogue to elevate the everyday. Every element is placed with intention, every material and every texture tells a story that aims to seduce and excite. I wanted those who enter there to not only see a kitchen, but to feel it as a living space, where functionality becomes spectacle and design becomes emotion.
This project is not just the result of an idea, but of a deep conviction that design can transform everyday life, that a kitchen does not have to be a hidden or merely utilitarian place, but rather a dynamic centre of the home, an experience that connects, invites and transforms. That has been my challenge and my pleasure in this work, to create a place where technological innovation meets aesthetic sensibility to build a space with soul, which looks to the future without forgetting that the human and the emotional are always at the centre.
Thus, the kitchen becomes a living stage, a spectacle that invites you to be the protagonist, to share, to feel the pulse of life in every detail, in every turn of the island, in every play of light and shadow. This project is my way of saying that interior architecture is not just about creating spaces, but about generating emotions, creating narratives and, above all, making those who inhabit them feel truly at home.
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