Interviews with Fabrizio Crisa

My work is characterized by creativity and aesthetic sense, rationality, and the search for innovative solutions. My passion for beauty and technological innovations allows me to create unique and distinctive objects.

Initially, I studied aeronautical engineering, which seemed like the right choice, but then I looked inside myself and realized that it wasn't what I wanted. Today, the word “design” is overused, but when I chose to study industrial design, I didn't really know what it was or what it meant to be a designer. However, I knew what I felt: a strong passion for products, the emotions, curiosity, and suggestions they provoked in me, the moments when I took everything apart in my mind and rebuilt it in a different way, the tendency to always imagine how to improve every object or how to find new functions, the vibrations and sensations of falling in love with certain products. And so, I realized that I had this problem, an illness, which I only later discovered was called design.

We designers face many challenges, and to respond quickly, we certainly need speed, versatility, and the ability to interpret change ahead of the curve. No less important is the ability to offer ideas that not only satisfy needs but also create new ones.

Design is the cornerstone of our design philosophy, which aims to achieve a balance between form and function. In my personal journey at Elica, I have always tried to approach new projects by changing the rules, observing with fresh eyes to study innovative solutions that are far removed from the classic idea of a range hood. To design new models, you need to change your perspective and shift your focus from the product to the need, to the person. The starting point for good design is the search for a solution to a need, a necessity, or a problem. In this way, the product dematerializes, leaving room for new concepts, thus completing the design flow.

Today, when we think of a new product, many doubts immediately arise about the possible paths to take: form or function? Luxury or simplicity? Durability or ephemerality? Fashion or classicism? Should we seek essentiality by eliminating the superfluous or choose excess?
Design must respond to all these doubts with creative and productive choices.
Design understood as “planning,” giving meaning to products, a purpose, a mission.
I can say that I experience “design” as a state of mind, an attitude aimed at the continuous and obsessive search for “beauty.” Beauty understood as the aesthetic emotion of things.
When we talk about beauty, we touch on a delicate subject, difficult to rationalize because it borders on the “subjective.” Beauty is everything that takes our breath away, everything that creates desire, everything that makes us laugh and gives pleasure to our eyes and our soul. A sunset, a flower, a starry sky, a kiss, a poem, a pair of high-heeled shoes, a song, a journey, a perfume: all these things are beauty, or rather, “can” be beauty, because in reality a sunset may seem like the most beautiful thing in the world, but if our mood changes, the same sunset can evoke completely different and less beautiful feelings. So, we can say that beauty is the emotion that everything around us provokes in us, therefore beauty is within us and good design must be able to stimulate these emotions.

Sebbene ammiri molti designer, architetti, antropologi e visionari, senza dubbio la persona che ammiro di più e che considero un grande maestro è Dieter Rams. Credo che, come designer, Rams abbia davvero cambiato il mondo e l'idea di un prodotto come oggetto che dovrebbe soddisfare e arricchire la vita delle persone. Innovativo, concettualmente rivoluzionario, formalmente essenziale e amante dei dettagli: queste sono tutte caratteristiche che costituiscono la base del mio approccio al design. Credo che Rams sia stato un grande maestro per tutti e ho avuto la fortuna di incontrarlo durante la cerimonia in cui gli è stato assegnato il Compasso d'Oro alla carriera a Milano. Ho persino un “selfie” con lui, che è stato più emozionante di quello che avrei potuto scattare con Freddie Mercury.

The most revolutionary products he has ever created, in addition to the NikolaTesla One, an induction hob with built-in extractor fan, which won the Compasso d'Oro award in 2018, are: Lhov and Ariachef Pro. Lhov is the first all-in-one cooking solution (hob, hood, and oven) on the market, revolutionary and innovative, which won an Honorable Mention at the Compasso d'Oro International and the Compasso d'Oro ADI award in 2024. The super-linear black glass design is a unique synthesis of aesthetic research and performance: perfectly flush with the kitchen cabinets, it integrates cutting-edge functions, diversified cooking areas and modes, and a display that controls the product and allows you to fulfill your every desire. Finally: a new-generation extraction system that captures vapors and odors from the hob and, for the first time, from the oven as well.
Ariachef Pro, on the other hand, won the Compasso d'Oro International award. The latter is an innovative mobile system, thanks to a clever movement system, which integrates cooking and extraction in a monolithic and essential synthesis, distributed in Japan by Ariafina, a brand with which the Elica Group, in partnership with Fuji Industrial Co. Ltd, has been present in the high-end Japanese market for over 20 years.
Receiving these two new awards is not just recognition of the quality of our projects: for me, it is confirmation that design, when it dares, can break new ground.

Design is the cornerstone of our design philosophy, which aims to achieve a balance between form and function. In my personal journey at Elica, I have always tried to approach new projects by changing the rules, looking at things with fresh eyes to study innovative solutions that are far removed from the classic idea of a range hood. Today, the term “range hood” feels restrictive to me; I feel it is outdated. The hood as such is an object that is installed above the hob and extracts fumes. I prefer to talk about functionality, well-being, and the pleasure of enjoying moments spent in the kitchen. I like to talk about air treatment that can take place in a different way than we have always imagined. To design new models, we need to change our perspective and shift our focus from the product to the need, to the person. The starting point should not be the design of a new range, but the solution to a need, a necessity, or a problem. In this way, the product dematerializes, leaving room for new concepts.

I don't know exactly why I became a designer. Initially, I studied aeronautical engineering, which seemed like the right choice, but then I looked inside myself and realized that it wasn't what I wanted. Today, the word “design” is overused, but when I chose to study industrial design, I didn't really know what it was or what it meant to be a designer. However, I knew what I felt: a strong passion for products, the emotions, curiosity, and suggestions they aroused in me, the moments when I took everything apart in my mind and rebuilt it differently, the tendency to always imagine how to improve every object or how to find new functions, the vibrations and sensations of falling in love with certain products. And so I realized that I had this problem, an illness, which I only later discovered was called design. Today, I couldn't imagine myself any other way. I think I was born with it, just like you are born male or female, tall or short, blond or brunette. I believe I was born with a congenital and acute form of “designitis.” And there is no cure, it comes suddenly, it keeps you awake at night, it comes when you least expect it, it makes you look like an alien when everyone else is drinking an aperitif and you're just looking at how the glass is made, or when you're in front of the TV and you find yourself behind the shelf to see how the back is made.

When I design a product, when I think of something new, I always start with a vision, an exciting image that represents the final stage of a design process. I imagine the feelings that someone seeing that product might experience. And everything stems from that vision. As far as I'm concerned, I can say that the creative process that leads to a new product idea paradoxically begins at the very end. And between the beginning and the end, every product has a unique, long, and complex story to tell. The consumer who comes across your product and looks at that image will only see the result, and if you've done a good job, then your product will excite them and be chosen over 10, 100, or 1,000 others.

I am currently developing concepts and evaluating the feasibility of a completely new product family that will be presented at Eurocucina 2026. I have worked extensively on the 2025 products and am now focusing on improving them, bringing innovation, technology, and design to the new products. Stay tuned to find out what Elica is capable of...

The creative process cannot be repeated because it always happens differently: by its very nature, design cannot be elaborated and rationalized precisely because it depends on people's vision and not on organization or rules. Therefore, there is no rule that establishes what is right and how to do it.

Intuition and talent are essential for a product to work. No product will ever stand out from the crowd if it merely responds to a series of market demands. Design responds to a question that no one has ever asked. It is design and vision that make the difference. Ultimately, it is obsessive attention to detail that makes the difference.

I always try to be curious about everything around me. Despite my work commitments, I find time to travel. I visit trade fairs in various fields, from interior design to products and technology. I am also in constant dialogue with other professionals in my network. I often take the time to chat with them and keep my knowledge of the specific sector up to date.

During the product design phase, 3D modeling software is used to visualize everything that the mind produces, before moving on to rendering and graphics software. The software is supported by mechanical equipment used to create the first prototypes, before the product's aesthetics are finalized.

The constant pursuit of beauty and perfection that I strive to instill in every product allows me to stay up to date and constantly expand my knowledge. To create and conceive something new, you have to keep up with the times, anticipating what should be designed and what users might need, without neglecting trends in home furnishings.

I always try to be curious about everything around me. Despite my work commitments, I find time to travel. I visit trade fairs in various fields, from interior design to products and technology. I am also in constant dialogue with other professionals in my network. I often take the time to chat with them and keep my knowledge of the specific sector up to date.

I was a curious child, I liked taking apart toys and appliances, and I spent a lot of time helping my father repair things. Growing up, I became very passionate about music and then Wi-Fi systems. I couldn't afford the latest models, so I repaired broken ones. The same thing happened with personal computers: I quickly learned how to assemble my own PC; at that time, my desk was full of hardware, and I spent my time modeling objects, as far as was possible at the time.
My first choice for university was to study engineering, but I soon realized that something was missing; so, I switched to product design and from that moment on I knew it was the right choice for me.

I’ve been working in extraction for fourteen years, using my ideas to try and make tangible and visible that which is normally intangible: air, my greatest source of inspiration. Elica has given me the chance to express myself in my designs.

I believe that although design is considered a form of art, in reality it is quite different from art in its classic acceptation. I think those who make art need to use themselves. their own emotions, to narrate something that affects them personally, whereas those who make design do so to narrate other people, to express and find that something that others want, or which they don’t yet know that they want. The things I design aren’t necessarily an expression of myself, but nor is that the aim of my work; the result doesn’t have to please me, but first and foremost all the others.

I love all things technological, mechanical, design, which makes it even more challenging to work toward a result able
to break down the constructive conflict inevitably generated during the design process. It’s the best part, because it makes what I do come alive, something much more than a mere mechanical operation.

I remember when I designed the first suspended hoods with lighting as the key feature — to the extent that the perception was no longer of a hood with a light, but a light with extraction — there was an understandable degree of bewilderment within Elica.

A freestanding exhibitor.

I love wood and stainless steel, the first for its beautiful patterns and the second for its strength.

What I feel for design is an obsession, in a positive way. Continuously thinking up new products and innovative solutions is part of my being, it’s not something I’m able to separate from my daily life: I take my projects with me everywhere I go. Often, for example during long car trips, ideas come to me and I concentrate on new solutions. As I’m driving I’m able to follow my flow of thought without distractions or interruptions. But I also design while watching people and how they act: I’m always on the lookout for contaminations.

New extraction systems, energy savings, the optimisation of air flows and external air exchange systems, fluid dynamics designed to guarantee maximum output and increasingly high-performing filtration systems all form the basis for new product.
development; but that’s not enough: technology without vision is unable to reach its full potential.

I feel excited by the challenge.

Following each stage of the product’s development, from the embryonic idea of the concept to the production of the finished product, I end up feeling as if they’re my own, my “children”.

When launching a new product, it is especially important to offer more than a mere technical description, seeking instead to tap into the emotional and motivational sphere.

Aesthetics and ergonomics, then feasibility in terms of costs.

A very important responsibility, to deliver functional yet beautiful objects, keeping in mind the environmental awareness.

Design, as we know, is the synthesis of many disciplines not least of all sociology, semiotics and even more so, the human quality of the spirit of observation. What design will be in the future? It is going to be a tool to solve problems.

My products are show very frequently, I can't recall the last one. Looking forward to future, Eurocucina will be the next exhibition.

My source is everything that surrounds me and how I look at it, sometimes inspiration just hit you while your doing something ordinary.

My design is characterised by clean lines and features. It is an elegant fast car.

It obviously does. Italians are people that like to engaged in projects when they see an opportunity in them, so the engagement transforms in passione and that's why we are able to deliver such beautiful products.

I have request from external companies and we usually discuss a brief and I deliver the proposals, we discuss them together and we pick the best fit for that specific company. Then I see the final results.

Pick a passionate person.

When I think of something new, I always start with a vision, an emotional image that represents the final part of a design path. This helps me imagine how the person who eventually finds themselves looking at the product might feel. This is the vision that brings everything to life.

Chairs, small appliances, tools, personal computers and lamps.

I wake up usually late for work, rush in the office starting to call people already in the car, spend all day discussing projects with my team and other teams. When everybody else goes home, I find my quiet and start actually design. I go home and I keep designing until late night. And then it is all over again.

just be passionate about what you do, the rest will come.

Design is a life you choose, you never leave it in the office, it is always around you.

Not too much, not too little.

Drawing, ability in visual representation and storytelling

I mainly use the softwares to design what I have in mind. I use drawing just when I need to explain something quickly to someone else and my pc is out of reach. Inspiration comes to several sources around me.

I work has hard as I can and at nights. It is the only way to cope with my job duties and the actual designing process of the products.

It totally depends on the object your designing. Sometimes the flow is fast and engaging and times it is boring and never ending.

What design means for you?

Landing in Elica was the most important.

I work for Elica and Elica has many clients, Whirlpool, Ikea, Indesit, Hotpoint Ariston, Bosch, Electrolux, but also Asian brands such as Midea and Haier, Ariafina (which is the Elica group’s brand in Japan) and many more.

Product design, because it gives me the chance to touch and feel the final product.

I don't like to reveal what is next, it is certainly taking care of my family and design!

I always work byself and then if I can't decide which way is the best, I tell other people about my project and listen to their consoderations

All the unrevealed projects are secretated.

f.crisa@elica.com

They are quite a few....

TheKub interprets contemporary design through the integration of advanced technologies designed to simplify the user experience. Thanks to remote management via the Elica app and compatibility with voice assistants, the product offers intuitive and immediate control of its functions. Direct communication with the induction hobs allows the hood to automatically adjust the suction power based on the active cooking zones, optimizing performance and efficiency. In addition, remote monitoring of filter status allows maintenance to be managed in a simple and punctual manner. With TheKub, technology, functionality and design integrate harmoniously, resulting in an evolved product, capable of improving comfort and the daily experience in the kitchen.

The TheKub hood integrates a latest generation Brushless motorization, designed to offer the perfect balance between high performance, energy efficiency and comfort of use. This technology allows for the development of significant suction capacity, while ensuring reduced consumption and optimized energy management. One of the most distinctive aspects of the system is the exceptional operational quietness. By reducing noise emissions, TheKub helps create a more comfortable and relaxed kitchen environment, where you can cook, converse, and experience space without interference. An advanced technological solution that transforms efficiency into daily well-being, elevating the user experience through a perfect synthesis between performance, sustainability and comfort.

Personalization is one of the distinctive elements of TheKub project, designed to adapt naturally to the different interpretations of the kitchen space and the needs of those who experience it on a daily basis. The ability to choose between different configurations, finishes, and the possible integration of the decorative shelf allows for the creation of a tailored solution, perfectly consistent with the architectural and stylistic context in which the product is inserted. This design flexibility arises from a design vision that puts the living environment and people at the center, recognizing the value of the uniqueness of each space. TheKub does not impose a predefined presence, but adapts and dialogues with the surrounding architecture, helping to build a harmonious and personalized aesthetic experience. While offering a high degree of compositional freedom, the product retains intact the distinctive features that define Elica's identity. Balanced proportions, attention to detail, technological innovation, and formal rigor combine in a recognizable design language, capable of leaving a discreet yet authoritative signature. It is precisely this balance between personalization and identity that makes TheKub an authentic expression of the Elica design philosophy: a design capable of adapting to spaces without ever giving up its character.

The TheKub project was based on the desire to develop a product capable of combining formal synthesis, modularity and versatility in a single solution. The goal was to create a hood that could adapt naturally to different living contexts, harmoniously interacting with very different styles, materials, and kitchen configurations. This need guided the entire design process, leading to the definition of a product characterized by an essential and contemporary aesthetic language, designed to seamlessly integrate into modern living spaces. Modularity has not only been interpreted as a functional feature, but as a true design principle, capable of expanding the possibilities for configuration and customization. In fact, TheKub offers the possibility to choose between different finishes, allowing to identify the solution most consistent with the character of the kitchen environment. Added to this flexibility is the possibility of integrating or not the accessory shelf, available both in the same finish as the hood and in the wooden variant, introducing further compositional and decorative opportunities. This configurative freedom makes the product extremely adaptable and transversal, allowing each user to build a solution in tune with their own style and the specifics of the space. TheKub thus interprets an evolved conception of design, in which personalization, functionality and aesthetic balance merge to give life to a product capable of enhancing each environment while maintaining a strong and recognizable design identity.

The design of TheKub was born from a clear and strongly identifying idea: to bring the essentiality of primordial geometry back into the kitchen, transforming a pure and archetypal form into a contemporary product, capable of dialogue with the spaces of modern living. The goal was to create a hood characterized by a discreet yet recognizable presence, in which the simplicity of the forms became the main expressive element of the project. Clean lines, balanced proportions, and immediate interaction were conceived as tools to make the product easily integrated into different contexts, without sacrificing a strong design personality. The entire project was developed with the aim of preserving high aspirational performance, efficiency and functionality, integrating them within a rigorous and essential volume. The decorative shelf further enhances the character of the product, an element that enriches the composition and introduces a new dimension of customization. Available in both the same hood finish and the wooden version, the shelf allows TheKub to be adapted to different furniture languages, maintaining the formal purity of the project unchanged. The result is a product that interprets design as a synthesis between simplicity, function, and identity, where the power of geometry meets the flexibility of customization, giving rise to an elegant, contemporary solution capable of evolving alongside the spaces that welcome it.

The idea behind TheKub was to design a product capable of expressing the power of simplicity, transforming essential geometry into a distinctive and recognizable element. The goal was not to create a protagonist object due to its formal complexity, but a product in which balance, proportion, and purity of lines were able to generate an elegant and contemporary presence, far from any banality. The rigorous geometry that characterizes TheKub finds its natural evolution in the integrated shelf, an element that enriches the project by introducing new compositional possibilities. Available in both the same finish as the hood body and in the wooden variant, the shelf creates a harmonious dialogue between materials and surfaces, helping to personalize the product and enhance its integration within the kitchen environment. From ease of use to constructive rationality, to the optimization of production and installation processes, each aspect has been developed according to the logic of intelligent essentiality, aimed at simplifying the experience without sacrificing quality, performance, and identity. TheKub thus represents a design philosophy that looks to the future through subtraction and the search for the essential. An approach that will continue to guide the development of upcoming projects, with the goal of creating products where simplicity, innovation, and design coexist in a genuine and lasting balance.

The TheKub hood, in addition to its distinctive design, also features several features and advantages, such as: modular design: many configurations: wall-mounted, suspended, island-shaped; available in steel, black and matte white finishes enriched with dedicated accessories, including a wooden shelf, creandp plus configuration possibilities; comfort silence: thanks to the Brushless motorization, The suction power is combined with maximum energy efficiency and exceptional acoustic comfort, which allows you to converse and cook in peace; wide dimmer light: the full LED lighting diffuses the light evenly and can be adjusted in power: at most for a very bright environment, softer to obtain a relaxed atmosphere; connex: The hood can be managed remotely via the Elica app or voice assistants and can communicate with the induction planes by automatically adjusting itself based on the cooking zones in operation.

TheKub was born from the idea of transforming simplicity into a distinctive element, through an essential, rigorous and perfectly proportionate aesthetic language. The purity of its lines and the linearity of the main volume give the product an elegant and discreet presence, capable of harmoniously integrating into very different living contexts. The design research focused on the valorization of materials and the dialogue between surfaces and finishes. The combination of the natural warmth of wood and the contemporary character of stainless steel, black or white, creates a sophisticated balance between materiality and technology, between tradition and innovation. Each pairing was designed to enhance the product's personality and offer different interpretations, always maintaining strong aesthetic coherence. The central element of the project is the shelf, which transforms from a simple accessory into a true architectural sign. Its presence redefines the perception of the product, enriching its volume and giving it a strong visual identity. In addition to introducing a functional dimension, the shelf becomes the detail that characterizes TheKub and amplifies its ability to dialogue with the surrounding space. The result is a product that expresses a contemporary vision of design: essential yet rich in personality, minimal yet highly recognizable. A balance between linearity, materiality and design characterization that makes TheKub not only a hood, but a true furnishing element capable of defining the atmosphere and character of the kitchen.

The design of TheKub was born from the search for a perfect synthesis between formal purity and industrial efficiency. The linearity of the product does not only represent an aesthetic choice, but becomes a true design principle capable of guiding every phase of development, from initial conception to production. The essential geometries, the rigorous volumes and the absence of superfluous elements give the product a contemporary and timeless image, capable of fitting naturally into multiple living contexts. This visual simplicity is the result of careful design work, aimed at eliminating the unnecessary to enhance what is truly functional. At the same time, the search for essentiality has also allowed us to optimize production aspects. Each component was designed to ensure construction rationality, ease of assembly, and efficiency in industrial processes, transforming design simplicity into concrete value throughout the entire product development cycle. TheKub thus expresses a vision of design in which form, function and production converge in a coherent balance. A project that demonstrates how true innovation often lies in the ability to simplify, creating elegant, recognizable, and technically intelligent products, where aesthetic quality is the natural result of rigorous and informed design.

The conception of the Element hood was not driven solely by aesthetic research, but by a broader design vision, in which design and functionality evolve together to offer a superior user experience. Each choice was born from the desire to simplify the relationship between person and technology, making the product increasingly intuitive, efficient and integrated into everyday life. The integration of Bluetooth technology is one of the most innovative aspects of the project. The hood can communicate directly with the hob, automatically adjusting the suction level according to real cooking needs. An intelligent system that optimizes performance and frees the user from manual adjustments, ensuring a more comfortable environment and natural management of kitchen tasks. This ability to anticipate the user's needs reflects a contemporary conception of design, in which innovation is not limited to the introduction of new technologies, but is measured in their ability to simplify the daily experience. Reducing the time spent on operations, minimizing complexity, and making every interaction more immediate means creating products that concretely improve the quality of life. Element perfectly interprets this philosophy: an object with an essential and refined design that integrates advanced technological solutions in a discreet and intelligent way, transforming functionality into a fluid, natural and elegant experience.

Sustainability and respect for the environment are fundamental principles that guide every stage of our design process. For us, designing means not only creating products that stand out for their aesthetics and performance, but also taking responsibility for making informed, future-oriented choices. During the engineering phase, great attention was paid to finding a balance between aesthetic identity, build quality, and sustainability. The goal was to develop a product fully consistent with our design language, without sacrificing materials and solutions capable of reducing its environmental impact throughout its life cycle. This vision led to the choice to favor recyclable and durable materials such as glass and stainless steel, elements that, in addition to ensuring high technical performance and superior perceived quality, contribute to more responsible and circular design. Sustainability thus becomes an integral part of the project, not a simple requirement to be met. An approach that interprets contemporary design as a synthesis of beauty, innovation, and responsibility, giving rise to products designed to last overtime and meet the needs of increasingly conscious living.

The design process for the Element hood was both complex and challenging, characterized by the desire to find a perfect balance between formal essentiality, technological innovation, and the quality of the user experience. From the very beginning, the challenge was to overcome the traditional concept of the hood, transforming it into an element capable of dialoguing with the architecture of the kitchen through a distinctive and contemporary aesthetic language. In this vision, the integrable shelf takes on a central role. It is not a simple accessory, but a design element that gives the product personality, visual lightness and a new functional dimension. Thanks to this detail, Element manages to express a minimal and refined design, capable of characterizing the space without imposing itself on it. At the same time, every aesthetic choice was developed without ever compromising technological performance. Efficiency, comfort and innovation indeed remain essential elements of the project, harmoniously integrated within a clean and elegant form. This approach reflects the philosophy that guides our every design journey: creating products that can satisfy both those who seek technological excellence and those who consider design a fundamental element of their living experience. The result is an object that combines emotion and functionality, where technology and design coexist in an authentic and uncompromising balance.

Aesthetics and performance have always been the founding principles of our design approach and have also been the guiding elements in the development of the Element hood. Our vision of design is based on the belief that the beauty of a product cannot be separated from its ability to deliver excellent performance and flawless user experience. The challenge was to create a product capable of standing out for its formal elegance and, at the same time, expressing all its functional qualities through technology. Element was born precisely from this balance: a refined and contemporary presence that does not limit itself to enhancing the kitchen space, but which concretely improves its livability thanks to high performance and advanced technical solutions. Each design choice was oriented towards achieving this synthesis. The study of proportions, depths and volumes allowed us to integrate a highly performing suction system within a visually lightweight and balanced structure. The goal was not simply to contain the technology, but to make it an integral part of the project, without compromising its aesthetic purity. Element thus interprets a philosophy in which form and function evolve together. A product capable of combining elegance, efficiency and innovation, demonstrating how true design does not consist in choosing between beauty and performance, but in managing to make them coexist in a single harmonious and distinctive experience.

Each project is the result of a structured process involving several development phases, from the definition of the initial concept to engineering, prototyping, and final product validation. This is a complex process, characterized by continuous verification and optimization, in which each choice must find the right balance between aesthetic requirements, technical constraints, performance and industrial feasibility. For Element, the goal was clear from the early design stages: to develop a product to be presented at the Salone del Mobile that would best synthesize our vision of contemporary design. The challenge was to translate an essential and minimal aesthetic language into a technically advanced solution, without compromising either the aspiring performance or the integration of functional components. During development, particular attention was paid to optimizing overall dimensions, integrating the engine system, and managing airflow, so that the product maintained balanced proportions and a light visual presence while ensuring high levels of efficiency. At the same time, every detail was designed to ensure perceived quality, ease of use, and formal consistency. The end result is a product that faithfully reflects the original design idea: a hood with a contemporary and rigorous design, capable of integrating advanced technological solutions and high performance within a clean and essential architecture. Seeing Element presented at the Salone del Mobile in its final configuration was confirmation of the value of a design journey in which design, engineering and innovation worked in perfect synergy.

Element represents a key step in Elica's innovation journey, introducing a new interpretation of the hood concept through an evolved balance between design, customization, and technology. Since its conception, the project has been developed with the aim of offering greater compositional freedom, allowing the product to adapt naturally to the different aesthetic and functional needs of the kitchen environment. The ability to choose between different finishes and configure the product with or without a decorative shelf gives Element a particularly versatile design dimension, transforming it from a simple appliance to a true furnishing element. This flexibility integrates seamlessly with advanced technology content, designed to ensure high performance and an intuitive, contemporary user experience. Element success lies precisely in its ability to anticipate new living needs, interpreting the growing demand for increasingly customizable, integrated, and connected products. Thanks to this innovative vision, Element not only represents a successful product, but also establishes itself as a project capable of inspiring future design evolutions, outlining new languages and new ways of relating technology, space, and people.

Element has been designed to offer a comprehensive and highly adaptable user experience, thanks to a series of features designed to precisely respond to different daily needs. Particular attention was paid to the lighting system, designed to ensure maximum flexibility. Thanks to the dimmable technology, the light intensity can be adjusted according to the activity performed: a brighter and more direct light supports the preparation and cooking operations, while a softer brightness helps create a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere, transforming the kitchen into a space to be experienced beyond the simple moment of food preparation. On the suction performance front, Element adopts a perimeter suction system designed to optimize the capture of cooking vapors and fumes. This solution allows air to be effectively conveyed along the entire perimeter of the product, ensuring high efficiency regardless of the direction of origin of the fumes. The user experience is further enhanced by a series of intelligent functions dedicated to convenience and maintenance. The Clean Mode function allows you to block product controls, avoiding accidental activation during cleaning operations. Additionally, a filter monitoring system signals when filters are reaching their maximum saturation level, indicating the correct time to proceed with cleaning or replacement and thus ensuring consistent performance over time. By integrating these solutions, Element combines comfort, efficiency and ease of management, offering a product designed to make every interaction more intuitive and functional.

Elica has always interpreted design as the meeting point between aesthetics, innovation, and performance, creating products capable of elevating the cooking experience to the next level. A design vision in which the beauty of shapes and technological excellence coexist in perfect balance, transforming each product into an evolved and engaging user experience. Innovation is the driving force behind this approach: ongoing research aimed at developing technologies capable of enhancing functionality, simplifying interaction with the product, and concretely improving daily life. It is the principle that guides every phase of the creative process and fuels constant experimentation, aimed at anticipating the needs of contemporary living. In this context, Element authentically expresses the values that define Helix's identity. The introduction of solutions dedicated to customization allows us to overcome the traditional concept of household appliances, offering the user greater freedom of configuration and a deeper connection with the product. The ability to adapt its aesthetics and presence in space makes Element a highly contemporary project, capable of combining flexibility, technology and design culture. For these reasons, Element establishes itself as one of the most representative expressions of the Elica philosophy: a product that interprets design not only as form, but as a tool for creating value, emotion, and lasting innovation.

The desire to develop a product with a minimal character, capable of adapting naturally to the most diverse environmental configurations, translates into an essential but highly distinctive design language. The result is an object with an attractive, versatile and modular design, designed to offer a high degree of customization without ever compromising formal coherence and aesthetic balance. The color selection, careful choice of materials and integration of the backlit control panel help define a refined and contemporary visual experience. Each element is designed to dialogue harmoniously with others, giving rise to a product that stands out for its measured yet recognizable stage presence. The result is a solution that combines essentiality and character, capable of offering an engaging user experience consistent with the highest standards of contemporary design, in which functionality, aesthetics and customization coexist in perfect balance.

The design of Virtus Line ovens stems from an ambitious challenge: transferring performance, reliability, and control typical of the finest professional equipment to the home context. A goal achieved through an impeccable balance between technological excellence and aesthetic refinement. Advanced functions such as the integrated cooking probe and the ability to reach temperatures up to 320 °C allow you to replicate professional-level results at home, ensuring precision and versatility in every preparation. But what really sets Virtus Line apart is its ability to combine high performance with a sophisticated, contemporary formal language. Every detail has been designed to express an essential and timeless beauty, transforming the oven from a simple appliance to a true architectural element. The result is a perfect synthesis between professional technology and exclusive design, designed for those seeking the ultimate in both performance and aesthetics.

Today, gastronomic culture has reached ever-higher levels of excellence, transforming food preparation into a true experience. To meet these new needs, it is no longer enough to have functional tools: it is necessary to be able to count on products capable of combining advanced technology, professional performance and aesthetic quality. The Virtus Line was born from this very vision. Designed for those who seek the ultimate in the kitchen, it integrates advanced technical solutions and high-level performance, offering the tools needed to tackle every preparation with precision, control and reliability. Alongside functional excellence, the Virtus Line expresses a distinctive design identity, characterized by refined design, selected materials and a care of detail that enhances each environment. The result is a collection that surpasses the traditional concept of an appliance, becoming an integral part of contemporary kitchen architecture. With the Virtus Line, the experience and performance of professional cuisine enter the home space, transforming every home into a place where innovation, design and culture of good food coexist in perfect harmony.

Every recognition represents much more than a milestone for us: it confirms the value of the path undertaken and, at the same time, encourages us to continue evolving our design approach. Design is a constantly changing process, fueled by research, innovation, and the desire to anticipate the needs of those who use our products. At the heart of this vision is always the person. Each project is born from observing user behaviors, habits, and expectations, with the aim of creating solutions that concretely improve the daily experience. For us, design is not just an aesthetic exercise, but a tool capable of simplifying, enhancing, and making interaction with the product more intuitive. It is from this balance between functionality, innovation, and formal research that products designed to last overtime come to life, capable of interpreting contemporary needs through an essential, refined, and distinctive aesthetic language. Continuing to design therefore means continuing to put the user at the center, transforming every challenge into an opportunity for improvement and every innovation into a valuable experience.

The challenge behind the design of the Virtus Line ovens was to transfer the technical excellence and typical performance of professional equipment to the domestic context, without sacrificing a refined aesthetic perfectly integrated into contemporary environments. Elements such as the triple-glazed door and the integrated food probe represent the concrete expression of this design philosophy: solutions developed to ensure control, precision and reliability, offering the user a professional-level cooking experience within their kitchen. Behind the essentiality of forms and the cleanliness of aesthetic language lies an intense research and development process. The project was refined through numerous prototyping phases, firing tests, and rigorous strength tests, with the aim of refining every technical and functional detail. Each component was evaluated to ensure high performance, durability and perceived quality. The result is a collection of ovens that interprets the concept of professional home cooking in a contemporary way: products in which innovation, engineering and design converge in a harmonious synthesis, transforming technology into an elegant, intuitive and uncompromising experience.

Every design journey of mine stems from the belief that design is first and foremost a state of mind: an aptitude for the constant and rigorous pursuit of beauty. A beauty that goes beyond the aesthetic aspect and translates into the ability to evoke emotions, create connections, and give meaning to the objects around us. Intuition always represents the starting point of the project, the moment when past and future meet to shape new possibilities. It is through design that these insights come to life, transforming into products capable of interpreting contemporary needs and anticipating future ones. In this vision, design and innovation are inextricably linked. Innovation means improving people's lives, making technology more accessible, intuitive, and closer to everyday needs. The real value of innovation lies precisely in its ability to reduce the distance between technological progress and human experience, transforming complexity into simplicity and helping to build a more natural and harmonious relationship between people and the products they use every day.

The distinctive details that characterize the Virtus Line form the common thread that unites the entire collection, giving it a strong, recognizable and coherent identity. Iconic elements such as the handle, the elegant total black finish, the purity of the shapes and the perfect alignment between the products define a refined and contemporary design language, capable of creating a harmonious dialogue between all the models of the Virtus Line. Each design choice arises from the desire to build a coherent aesthetic system, in which each product maintains its own personality while contributing to a balanced and distinctive overall vision. It is precisely this balance between characterization and coherence that represents one of the founding principles of our approach to design. Our philosophy consists of creating highly identifying elements, capable of enhancing the product and making it immediately recognizable, without ever straying from the values and design language that have always defined Elica's identity. The result is a collection that expresses innovation, elegance and continuity, authentically interpreting the essence of the Elica brand.

Once the design identity of the Virtus Line and the aesthetic language that would characterize each product had been defined, the development process continued with a rigorous phase of engineering and technical validation. Each design choice was translated into concrete solutions through intensive research, development and experimentation. The laboratory tests aimed to ensure high standards in terms of performance, reliability and quality of use, verifying every aspect of the product under the most diverse conditions of use. At the same time, particular attention was paid to energy efficiency, which was considered an integral part of the project and not a simple technical requirement. The result is a collection in which design, innovation and technology converge harmoniously, resulting in products capable of delivering high performance, optimized consumption and user experience that live up to the most advanced expectations.

The choice to characterize the Virtus Line through the elegance of total black was born from the desire to create a distinctive aesthetic language, contemporary and destined to last over time. This chromatic identity gives the products a refined stage presence, capable of integrating naturally into every kitchen project, from the most classic interpretations to the most modern and sophisticated environments. Total black thus becomes much more than a simple aesthetic choice: it represents an element of design coherence that unifies the entire collection, strengthening its character and recognizability. Through essential shapes, rigorous surfaces and carefully studied details, the Virtus Line expresses a harmonious balance between design, functionality and emotion. The result is a range of products capable of dialogue with the evolutions of contemporary living, maintaining a strong and distinctive identity. A design vision that combines timeless elegance, stylistic coherence and sensitivity to emerging trends, transforming each product into an authentic piece of furniture as well as a high-performance tool.

Each model of the Virtus Line is defined by a set of design details that builds its identity and strengthen its distinctive character. The total black, the handle with an essential yet solid and sculptural design, and the integration of the TFT display or its variants, contribute to outlining a coherent, rigorous and immediately recognizable aesthetic language. Within the range, the Multi 60 DD model introduces an iconic element: the floating knob. This detail becomes a true design signature, capable of giving the product an even more professional, distinctive and contemporary character. Its presence is not only functional, but takes on a strong identity role, transforming itself into a visual sign that synthesizes the essence of the line. In this way, each element contributes to strengthening the coherence of the entire Virtus Line, where aesthetics, technology, and recognizability coexist in a precise design balance, giving rise to products that stand out for their elegance, innovation, and formal authority.