Henrik Otto, Senior Vice President of Design at Electrolux presented an exciting new kitchen concept back in 2010 at the Swedish Museum of Architecture in Stockholm and two years on, the design still seems as far away as the Transporter technology aboard the Starship Enterprise.
Nevertheless, it does give the next generation of modern kitchen designers something to aim for achieving in their own life time and for set designers to include in their film and TV room sets for the next Star Trek or sequel to Minority Report.
Here is the release from Electrolux on what we may be using to cook our meals with from 2050 onwards.
Imagine never having to use pans or pots again, never having to worry whether the ingredients are fresh or never having to look up a recipe in a cook book. Heart of the Home is a thought provoking vision of the kitchen of the future – an integrated solution functioning as a kitchen table, cooking surface and bar all in one.
Heart of the Home’ is an intelligent, amorphous, interchangeable cooking surface that adapts to user needs. When using the Heart of the Home one simply places one’s ingredients on the surface. The appliance then analyses the ingredients and presents a list of suitable recipes. After deciding on a recipe, the user marks an area with his hand to determine how large the cooking area should be. Then the desired depth of the surface is created by simply pressing the hand against the malleable material. After achieving the required width and depth it’s just a matter of setting temperature and time with a simple touch of a finger.
Heart of the Home background
2008 was the year when, for the first time in history, more people were living in cities than in rural areas. According to the UN, the number of people living in urban areas will increase to a staggering 74 percent in 2050. As a reference, a mere 29 percent lived in cities in 1950. Electrolux has developed the Heart of the Home as an illustration of how we will lead our lives in 2050 based on a number of assumptions:
Social needs are important: Just as today, social activities will be an important part of our lives, especially when it comes to socialising with your family and friends. The increased level of high-tech support in everyday life will also mean that we will want to experience true and real values
We need simplified homes: In the limited available space of future mega cities, homes will need to be flexible and able to adjust according to circumstances. The appliances of the future will need to be integrated and adjustable. We won’t have room for a whole host of products each with their own specific function.
Societies need to be more effective: When 74 percent of 9 billion people live in cities, we have to adapt our way of living to the resources we have. We need new ways of recycling our waste. Energy efficient products and buildings will be more important than ever before.
We won’t make it without technology: Technology is important today, but it will be a matter of survival in 2050. Technological advances are a prerequisite for us being able to have a sustainable development, environmentally as well as socially.
Heart of the Home was presented for the first time at DesignBoost in Stockholm February 12th 2010.
This is a new design concept created for the person driven by culinary curiosity using new technology without removing the essence of cooking. Electrolux has developed a modern kitchen concept where we keep in touch with our human values and where innovation is only a tool for performance. Electrolux wants the kitchen to assist the user. However the user has to be a part of the process.
About Electolux
Electrolux is a global leader in household appliances and appliances for professional use, selling more than 40 million products to customers in more than 150 markets every year. The company focuses on innovative products that are thoughtfully designed, based on extensive consumer insight, to meet the real needs of consumers and professionals.
Electrolux has been recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies 2012 by the Ethisphere Institute. The annual ranking names 145 companies that surpass their industry peers. Honorees are rewarded for implementing business practices and initiatives that are instrumental to the company’s success, benefit the community and raise the bar for ethical standards within the industry.
Electrolux products include refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, cookers and air-conditioners sold under esteemed brands such as Electrolux, AEG, Eureka and Frigidaire. In 2010 Electrolux had sales of SEK 106 billion and 52,000 employees.
Axel Wenner-Gren, the founding father of Electrolux, established the principles by which the company still thrives. His dream to improve quality of life has had fundamental impact on homes around the world. Today’s Electrolux, 90 years later, is a global leader in household appliances and appliances for professional use.
“Thinking of you” expresses the Electrolux offering: To maintain continuous focus on the consumer, whether it’s a question of product development, design, production, marketing, logistics or service.
