Electrolux names Aeroball as future appliance winner

Electrolux named the winner of its 10^th annual Design Lab 2012, a competition for household appliances of the future, as Aeroball by Jan Ankiersztajn from Poland.

Aeroball is a collection of luminescent, hovering balls that can filter and fragrance the air in the room and fall to the ground when they are ready to be changed.
This year's competition remit was to create concept household appliances that stimulate, engage and enlighten senses.
Design director at Electrolux, and head of the jury, Thomas Johansson explained: “We rely on our senses for almost everything, so considering the senses is an important factor when designing appliances.”

He continued: “This year’s winning concept, Aeroball is a truly innovative concept that uses space in a unique way and delights our surroundings. It also changes our perception of an air cleaner because it is delicate in aesthetics; it is emotional and also relevant, because it addresses the consumer’s needs.”

The second prize in the competition went to Ben de la Roche from New Zealand for his refrigerated wall, Impress, with bottles and containers placed directly in the wall. The third prize was presented to Christopher Holm-Hansen, from Denmark, for Tastee. It is a spoon has utilises receptors based on the human tastes buds to tell the chef what ingredients are needs to improve the dish.

These three prize winners were chosen from 10 global finalists. The UK had three entries in the Electrolux Design Lab competition, which qualified for this year’s semi-finals.

Jan Ankiersztajn from Poland follows last year’s winner, Adrian Mankovecky from Slovenia for his portable spot cleaner. Like, Mankovecky, he wins €5,000 Euros and a six-month paid internship at an Electrolux global design centre.

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Divine Inspiration at The Cube by Electrolux

The Cube by Electrolux overlooks the River Thames

If you’re in need of divine Inspiration, look up, and you’re guaranteed to find it there! Well, you are in central London and until September 30, anyway. The Cube by Electrolux has just arrived from Milan, transported via 11 lorries, and featuring its latest range of Inspiration appliances.

This 140sqm, 67 tonne pop-up ‘chefs table’ (with emphasis on the word ‘up’ ), is perched on top of the Royal Festival Hall on London’s Southbank. Around 5,000 diners are expected to be eating lunch and dinners, over the next four months, served by one of a six-strong team of Michelin-starred chefs. The chef team includes Sat Bains from Restaurant Sat Bains in Nottinghamshire; Claude Bossi from Hibiscus in Mayfair; Daniel Clifford from Midsummer House in Cambridge; Tom Kitchen from The Kitchen in Edinburgh and Jonray and Peter Sanchez-Iglesias from Casamia in Bristol.

These renowned chefs will not only be at the pass but also mingling with the booked guests - (paying between £175 and £215 for a set course including wine) to give hints and tips on cooking and how to achieve the results using Electrolux appliances. Head of marketing for Electrolux, Graham Bremer says: “We are releasing seat tickets in stages and already we are fully booked for the next five weeks."

The Cube forms a stage for Electrolux, which is repositioning its brand at a higher level, and leveraging its credibility using its 90-year history in professional environments. One in three hotel chains use Electrolux appliances for their kitchens or laundries and over half of Europe’s Michelin-starred restaurants use Electrolux equipment. Managing director, Ian Banes said at the launch of Inspiration: “10% of our global sales are professional and this division drives the technology for domestic design”. And Sophie Davidson, head of product, also commented at the event: “We have taken a lot of learning from professional ranges and injected them into domestic appliances.” It means the Inspiration range sees the introduction of a CombiSteam oven with temperature probe, InfinitePure induction hob with rotary sliders and fridge freezers with a single compressor to run dual cooling systems. And Electrolux is already planning to further augment its Inspiration range in September. It plans to launch the Inspiro oven with automatic volume sensing and self-adjusting cooking, gas hobs with vertical flame burners, laundry and dishwashers.

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BrIT Girl: Can you beat The Cube?

Assistant editor, Britta O'Boyle

Electrolux has created travelling pop-up restaurants, called The Cube, to celebrate its 90^th anniversary and showcase its professional and domestic appliances. No clues for guessing which lucky girl was invited to its latest destination – Milan!

Pop-up restaurants have become a global phenomenon – from Dishoom Chowpatty Beach Bar (brilliant name) on London’s South Bank through to The French Laundry at Harrods, which opened for just 10 days. You snooze you lose. It was only a matter of time before the kitchen industry embraced this bang-up-to-trend culinary movement. And boy am I glad it has!

Appliance brand Electrolux has taken the lead with its pop-up restaurant, The Cube. In fact, since last year, there have been two Electrolux Cube restaurants travelling throughout Europe, to arrive on-top of landmark sites for just three months. Now you see them, now you don’t. I wonder what the sight-seers have to say about this!

Electrolux Cube pop-up restaurant on top of Milan building

Electrolux introduced its The Cube pop-up restaurant to celebrate 90 years of professional heritage. And fresh from its jaunt to Brussels, The Cube I was invited to visit had just landed in Milan. The 140sqm restaurant has been located on top of Number 1 Via Ugo Foscolo in Milan – overlooking the cathedral - and will be there until April 26. Then it makes its way across to the UK later this year. I must admit, I am very much looking forward to finding out which London building it will be landing on, any thoughts?

From its lofty position, The Cube claims to offer ‘fantastic tastes and never before seen views’ – a big statement? No. Not in the slightest. With the landscape and the beauty of the building itself, it was pretty incredible and quite frankly made me speechless (not an easy accomplishment).

The Cube not only looks uber-stylish (understatement of the year), but its design is pretty clever too. It boasts a table, which seats 18 guests, that drops from the ceiling for meal times. It overlooks the kitchen featuring professional and domestic appliances. And when the meal is finished, the table raises back into the ceiling, allowing guests to mingle for post dinner drinks.

Don’t even get me started on the food! One word – amazing. Seven courses (I know) were prepared by Michelin Starred Chef Andrea Sarri, one of 13 chefs on a rotation system whilst in Milan. The chefs are selected from the country the restaurant is in and they must work with Electrolux professional equipment within their kitchens. But with 50% of Michelin Starred restaurants around the world using the equipment, they aren’t stuck for choice.

The Electrolux Cube also allows guests to interact and learn from the professional chefs, ‘inspiring its guests with a once-in-a-lifetime’ and ‘memorable’ dining experience. I’m sure they probably won’t be forgetting the brand anytime soon either!I’m not joking when I say it’s not marketing fluff. The restaurant might be temporary, but it certainly won’t be something I forget in a hurry!

Electrolux Design Lab names winner

Electrolux named the winner of its Design Lab contest as Adrian Mankovecky from Slovakia who carried away the title for his Portable Spot Cleaner, at Room Home Intelligence at the Business Design Centre in London. His design concept was a small cleaner that refreshes clothing and removed stains with steam and ions.

He beat a field of 1,300 industrial design students throughout the world who were asked to consider the theme of ‘intelligent mobility’. The entrants were invited to create home appliance ideas for how people prepare food, clean and do dishes both within and beyond the home. It demanded the appliances should be more potable and provide flexible control to liberate people from being in the home. The brief also requested that the ideas offer personalisation and inspire users, while using technology to offer support and guidance.

The jury, which included Danish design Cecilie Manz, award-winning architects Hayes and James Slade and Henrik Otto, senior vice president of global design at Electrolux, was impressed with Mankovecky’s thinking.

The reason for naming Adrian Mankovecky the winner was given as : “The Portable Spot Cleaner is built on a very solid consumer insight and it is highly relevant. It is an instant laundry device that has a positive impact on the environment by reducing consumption. Its usage and interaction are very intuitive. We all want one.”

Senior vice president of global design at Electrolux Henrik Otto added that he personally liked how the Portable Spot Cleaner is similar to the Ergorapido being “a fresh new way of tackling a clothing care problem on the go, and with consideration for sensitive materials.”

Adrian Mankovecky wins a 5,000 Euros and a six-month paid internship at an Electrolux global design centre.  The second prize was presented to Enzo Kocak from Monash University in Melbourne Australian for the Ribbon, a flexible thermos and third prize was presented to Roseanne de Bruin from Massey University in New Zealand for the Smoobo blender.

The People’s Choice award, voted online, was presented to Matthew Schwartz for his Onda Portable Microwave.