Based in Caldogno in the province of Vicenza, Arclinea specialises in high-end kitchen furnishings with the mission of designing and building long-lasting kitchens. Founded in 1925 by Silvio Fortuna Senior, the company started as a window and door manufacturer bearing the founder's name, and moved into the wood-furnishings sector in the 1950s. In 1958, the company produced Thea, the first modular kitchen in natural wood. At the same time, company management passed to the second generation who worked intensely with the founder on marketing and product design. Arclinea was born in 1960 ("Arc" stands for "arredamenti razionali componibili"), focusing on the mass production of kitchen furnishings. At the end of the 1980s, increasingly close collaboration with designer Antonio Citterio, whose philosophy is based on integrating technical precision with function and formal invention with spatial innovation, transformed the brand into a leader in the modern kitchen design sector. Arclinea produces exclusively in Italy with no outsourcing, pursuing "total quality" through the absolute knowledge of materials, processes and technologies. In 2016, B&B Italia became the majority shareholder in Arclinea, accelerating its international growth. Since December 2018, Arclinea is part of Design Holding, a group that includes Maxalto, Flos and Louis Poulsen, in addition to Arclinea and B&B Italia.
Antonio Citterio for Arclinea
Antonio Citterio has been Arclinea's top designer since the late 1990s. He has produced innovative, rigorous and functional kitchens that are also creative, customisable and liveable. Citterio's first project for Arclinea was Italia, which was revolutionary in 1988 because it brought the functional criteria of the professional kitchen into the home with steel surfaces, deeper worktops, large basins for food preparation and dishwashing and a central, lowered cooking area. Over the next ten years, the Italia kitchen was followed by Mediterranea, Florida, Ginger and Artusi in different materials, finishes and details, aimed at diverse targets. Following the evolution of the kitchen, which had progressively taken on new meanings until, at the beginning of the 21st century, becoming a place for social and family life, Citterio's latest projects, Lignum et Lapis and Spatia, are thematic islands that adapt to different spatial and functional needs with architecturally designed storage elements and workspaces. To celebrate Arclinea's 60th anniversary in 2020, Citterio designed a new version of Thea, the brand's first kitchen now reimagined with formal essentiality, new geometric details and the absence of handles. "Conceptually and physically, Thea seeks to mediate between the distinct but complementary kitchen areas that are becoming a widespread trend in mid- and high-end homes, especially in the Far East", Citterio told Stefano Casciani. "The Wet kitchen is the operative area for maximum functional performance, while the Show kitchen is an integral part of living space where people share the final stages of food preparation, have a family breakfast or serve cocktails to friends. We found a solution for the Wet and the Show kitchens. The wall system separates the two but also puts them in communication. It makes rational use of space and so that Thea is suitable not only for large spaces but also for smaller homes".
Design and technological innovation in Arclinea kitchens
In 2020, Arclinea invested in a series of new systems for managing its warehouse, semi-finished products, and systems for squaring and edging panels. These facilities are entirely automated by software that guides the entire production process. As a result, the company can reduce production times, improve quality standards, and have greater flexibility, enabling it to respond to the growing demand for customisation that now characterises the kitchen market. This innovation will allow Arclinea to be highly competitive by the end of 2021, pursuing the latest Industry 4.0 goals.