Integration and expression: Appliances as architecture, not separate objects

Modern kitchens have evolved from being functional workspaces to being the social heart of the home. Fisher & Paykel’s Social Kitchen philosophy reflects this shift. In the same spirit, Fisher & Paykel’s Ultimate Kitchen Solutions product line emphasizes architectural integration, multi-use functionality, and human-centered design. 

At Fisher & Paykel’s Auckland Experience Centre, the company’s philosophy comes to life in a series of luxury kitchen environments. Each reflects one of Fisher & Paykel’s core design styles: Minimal, Contemporary, and Professional. For instance, the Arclinea Contemporary Kitchen environment exemplifies its namesake design style. 

A collaboration between Fisher & Paykel and Italian kitchen design company Arclinea, the Contemporary Kitchen illustrates how appliances can become integral to architecture. “This collaboration let us explore appliances as part of the architecture, not separate objects,” says Xanthe Whiteley, senior brand and retail experience designer at Fisher & Paykel. “In this kitchen, we weren’t looking to match. We were looking for a sophisticated layering of tones and materials.”  

Fisher & Paykel designed their Contemporary Style appliances to adapt to a range of interior environments, achieving additive or understated luxury. The appliances have obsessive detailing and subtle material accents.

Arclinea’s Convivium kitchen system, created by architect Antonio Citterio in 2002, complements this aesthetic. Citterio has described its modular design as “welcoming, busy, energetic, open, familiar, and flexible.” The system embodies the Social Kitchen philosophy, enabling seamless appliance integration, freedom of layout, connection, and interaction. 

“One of the most appealing features is the island’s ‘spine’ [an accessorized channel],” says Whiteley. “There’s also a wall-unit accessory system [an accessorized back panel] for neatly hanging accessories from the splashback. Those accessories and accents allowed us to create a kitchen that feels more home-like, inviting, and warm as well as sleek and refined like our Contemporary Style.” 

The focal point is the Arclinea island, a finely resolved piece of industrial design consisting of Italian Arabescato stone, stainless steel bronze PVD drawers, and a bronze PVD accessory channel. (PVD means “physical vapor deposition,” a process that adds a protective layer to materials.) The island also features some of Arclinea’s design signatures, including a 0.5-inch rebated drip edge around the island top and pocket door handles.  

Here, the Convivium accessorized channel enabled the creation of two distinct work zones on either side of the island. On one side is an electric induction cooktop with integrated ventilation, while the other side features a gas cooktop. Both are flush-mounted into the Italian stone, adding dimension to the 30-foot centerpiece. 

Building on the material palette, framed Principia end-wall units feature the NTF Fossil Oak color, echoing the warm tones of the island. Bronze PVD accents and pocket handles create a link to the island cabinetry. An integrated column refrigerator and column freezer have a bridging panel to maintain consistent break lines.

Set into the wall units, Contemporary Style 24-inch ovens and companion appliances—including a coffee machine, microwave, vacuum seal, and warming drawers—coexist with side-by-side 36-inch freestanding gas and induction cookers. A stacked 30-inch convection and steam oven demonstrates how integration can adapt to spatial and functional requirements.

Above the freestanding ranges, twin 36-inch integrated rangehoods are surrounded by Arabescato stone, adding to the grandeur of the stone island. The accessory system creates a bronze PVD accent through the backsplash.

The Contemporary Kitchen exemplifies the upside of combining architectural expertise and human-centered industrial design. It reflects an ongoing dialogue between Fisher & Paykel and Arclinea, two brands united by a shared commitment to the creation of design-forward kitchen environments.

Fisher & Paykel will present its integrated kitchen solutions at EuroCucina, part of the Milan Design Week 2026. Separately, Arclinea will celebrate 100 years of kitchen design with a dedicated exhibition during the same event.

To learn more and to experience Fisher & Paykel’s newest Arclinea collaboration, book a visit to the Fisher & Paykel New York Experience Center.

AIA does not sponsor or endorse any enterprise, whether public or private, operated for profit. Further, no AIA officer, director, committee member, or employee, or any of its component organizations in his or her official capacity, is permitted to approve, sponsor, endorse, or do anything that may be deemed or construed to be an approval, sponsorship, or endorsement of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product.