Arclinea's Kora island brings sculptural curves into the contemporary kitchen

Kitchen islands have long been defined by clean lines and rectilinear forms, but Italian brand Arclinea and architect Antonio Citterio are challenging that convention with Kora, a sculptural island that introduces softness, movement and flexibility into the heart of the home.

Designed to rethink the role of the island within contemporary interiors, Kora replaces rigid geometry with fluid curves and monolithic forms that encourage a more natural relationship between cooking, gathering and entertaining.

GALLERY

The result is a centrepiece that functions as both a practical workspace and an architectural statement.

The design emerged from Citterio’s close examination of the traditional kitchen island and its individual components, which were reimagined as a single continuous form. Available in marble, stone, timber, polished steel or PVD-coated steel, Kora celebrates materiality while allowing architects and designers to tailor the island to a wide range of residential aesthetics.

“Over the years we have worked on innovating the kitchen area, particularly the island,” says Citterio.

“With Kora we pursue another evolution: an island defined by curved forms that introduces greater fluidity into the space and allows for more flexible placement, without orthogonal constraints.”

Rather than imposing a fixed arrangement, the rounded geometry encourages circulation and creates a softer visual rhythm within open-plan homes. This approach reflects the growing demand for kitchens that are designed as social spaces, where food preparation, dining and conversation occur simultaneously.

Expanding this concept further, Kora is designed to pair with Arclinea’s Folia, Vesper and Orbita tables. Featuring circular or organically shaped tabletops, the collections can overlap with the island or stand independently, allowing designers to create flexible layouts that adapt to different ways of living and entertaining while maintaining a cohesive design language.

The philosophy aligns closely with Arclinea’s broader approach to kitchen design, where craftsmanship and innovation work together. This is also reflected in collections such as Principia, which combines framed timber doors with integrated handles and stainless steel detailing to balance traditional materials with contemporary manufacturing techniques.

Founded in 1925, Arclinea has built its reputation on combining Italian craftsmanship with functional innovation. Now available in Australia, Kora continues that legacy by demonstrating how the kitchen island can move beyond conventional forms to become a sculptural focal point that brings warmth, elegance and conviviality into the modern home.

Images courtesy of Arclinea via Dezeen