b3, the wabi-sabi kitchen

Marc O. Eckert talks about the state of the art at Bulthaup and the philosophy behind the b3 system that puts the kitchen back at the centre of the home and the human being at the centre of the kitchen.

At the last Milan Furniture Fair, bulthaup presented what has become their classic main line, the b3 system. Presented for the first time in 2004, over the years b3 has been extended with new materials and finishes and now also rearranged in an unusual kitchen-landscape: the hob is lower than the sink while the worktop, lower still, can be used to sit on. The aim of the installation was to demonstrate fully the philosophy of the German company, as bulthaup’s CEO explained: “What we show here is not only a product but also a philosophy: the state of the art of bulthaup and a completely different landscape”.

For some time now, the bulthaup kitchen has no longer been enclosed within four walls and has extended into the living room, following the inspiration of Otl Aicher, co-founder of the Ulm School of Design who believes “A really good kitchen is a kitchen which goes beyond the separation between living space and kitchen”

bulthaup b3
New finishes and dressing of b3 system by bulthaup, view from the showroom in via Durini during the Milan Furniture Fair 2013

“There are four basic functions in a kitchen: water, fire, storage and preparation. You can hide them behind a wall or you can break them up and try to reinvent the kitchen. In this landscape we show different perspectives, different heights: you can have a standard working height, you can sit on the storage and the seating landscape invites people to touch with their hands”, continues Eckert.

With the aim of demonstrating the potential of a flexible and dynamic kitchen system, bulthaup also presented a collage of different elements from the b3 system made in different colours and materials - such as concrete, stone, hand-painted tiles and planks of worn wood – placed at different levels.

bulthaup b3
New finishes and dressing of b3 system by bulthaup, view from the showroom in via Durini during the Milan Furniture Fair 2013
Eckert concludes, “Bulthaup offers the best quality, timeless beauty, perfect German engineering but people are expecting even more. Beyond the product, people want authenticity, sensuality because the kitchen is now the central soul of the house. In the b3 system it’s the human who dictates the living space, according to their needs. Here you can show objects with a patina that tell stories about you as an individual. Combining perfect steel with an old wooden floor, 400 years old from Russia, creates a tension. The Japanese call it wabi-sabi, the beauty that is derived from imperfection. You get real beauty when you combine perfection with imperfection”.

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