ROOT
Root explores passive cooling in the deconstructed kitchen. Through evaporation, the vessels create a cool microclimate for vegetables and allow the raw character of the earthenware to meet Gaggenau's more exclusive materials. Manufactured in collaboration with Nittsjö Keramik Fabrik.
Jury motivation
Like beautiful kitchen sculptures, Root offers an unexpected use. These cordless ceramic mini-refrigerators can be used to store various foods. The project explores how history and function can be reflected in the contemporary kitchen, and the result is a thoughtful reinterpretation of the zeer pot, a traditional vessel that uses passive cooling and evaporation to create a microclimate similar to that of a root cellar. Root is a shining example of how innovation does not always require advanced technology, but can emerge from knowledge that has existed for centuries if we dare to look back to find new ways forward.