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Sistema XY (System XY), by Milanese designer Francesco Meda for Molteni’s kitchen brand Dada, is a flexible storage system where every culinary accessory has its perfect place, always within easy reach. This modular system combines horizontal and vertical elements to provide everything the home chef could need in one convenient location.
At a time when people around the world are spending long periods at home, it is more important than ever to ensure that everything we need in our lives has an established place and is easy to find. This is especially vital in the kitchen, where multiple gadgets used for a range of purposes need to be instantly at hand.
Milanese designer Francesco Meda’s Sistema XY, produced for Molteni’s kitchen brand Dada, is a functional, flexible system where every culinary accessory is where it should be and within reach. It is a universal system that can be incorporated into all existing Dada kitchen models, either as wall-mounted units or a self-standing island.
Sistema XY, a name that recalls the Cartesian coordinates the project was inspired by, is a modular system of vertical and horizontal elements. The main axis of the design is a central structure that features storage for items such as knife holders, chopping boards, spice jars, salt and pepper grinders, electric plug units, smoke extraction hoods and plate racks. The sections can house different sliding accessories, including a wooden 130cm-by-130cm board that can be used as an informal table.
Describing his design process, Meda says that “the main difficulty has been focusing on a functional and transversal product, built with a simple, non-invasive method to fit in with existing kitchens. I began with the idea of offering a new way of using the kitchen by integrating different accessories”.
Along the central rail, additional elements may be installed to support a system of aluminium shelves that can be finished in different materials such as wood or stainless steel. Thanks to this flexibility, multiple configurations can lead to different visual effects, such as a warmer feel with wood or a more industrial look with stainless steel. The underside of the shelves features a recess to house LEDs. The shelf-bearing structures can feature sections to insert hooks for hanging gadgets, wine glasses, kitchen roll, etc.
“Making the numerous extruded parts has been really complex, because they combine several functions and need to be discreet,” says Meda. “At the same time, there have to be structural parts that can support the whole system. I have worked hard with the R&D team to define numerous aesthetic and constructive details such as the miniaturisation of the rail that enables the accessories to move over the top. Assembling the whole system has also been tricky simply because it consists of numerous components that have to ‘speak’ with each other.”
Sistema XY can adapt to additional functions and layouts in the future. Dada always focuses on proposing sustainable solutions, using materials such as aluminium, glass and wood that can be recycled, contributing to an environmentally friendly circular economy.
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