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What opportunities do you see for the brand in the near future? functions. You can propose something dramatic, like our in-house
designed Tio Zen model with a six-meter kitchen island, but then
While it is not a new market for high-end kitchens, the US, which scale it down to a more reasonable size for the customer in a small
is a huge market, is new for us and we see great potential there. living space. We had great success with Floo, an award-winning
In addition, the company has diversified its product portfolio with collaboration we did with designer Karim Rashid that explores
the Mahlzeit range with the goal of introducing a simple kitchen the design versatility as well as sensorial and functional qualities of
targeted at a younger audience – it’s a less pricey, starter kitchen Corian® Solid Surface. Rashid’s creativity and our engineering have
concept. There are more colorful combinations and the idea is to created a timeless piece: we didn’t reinvent the kitchen, we refined
make the space a place for entertaining, for those who want to invite it. It uses fronts sculpted in Corian® that are ergonomic and work
over friends and cook for them. naturally as handles. Floo looks ultra-modern but it is not overly
edgy. At Eurocucina this year we had a great reception for our
How important are design collaborations in developing new products? Cascade model, with door panels that stick out for a 3D effect and
which incorporates Corian® Cosmos Prima in a nice deep finish with
While we prefer to develop models in-house, design collaborations a seamless pattern that works well with the design.
fascinate me. Still, sometimes it is design for design’s sake and not
really a product but a showcase. Our kitchens have to fulfill basic rational.de

OPPOSITE: Rational’s Edition
Cascade kitchen with worksurfaces and
wall cladding in Corian® Solid Surface
(Cosmos Prima color); photo courtesy
of Rational; fabrication of Corian® by
Moser.
THIS PAGE (Clockwise from top
left): Rational’s floo kitchen with
worksurfaces in Corian® Solid Surface
(Glacier White color); design by
Karim Rashid; photo Alexander Böhle,
courtesy of Rational; fabrication of
Corian® by Hasenkopf.
The headquarters of Rational in Melle,
Germany; photo courtesy of Rational.

Corian® Design / ISSUE TWO 71