Arclinea
Arclinea, also known as Arclinea Arredamenti Spa, is an Italian design company. It was founded in Caldogno, Italy in 1925 by Silvio Fortuna, as a carpentry shop. The company began to focus exclusively on kitchen cabinetry in 1960. At that point, the firm began crafting cabinetry specifically designed to hold appliances, which had typically been considered a separate kitchen design element. This led to a more sleek, streamlined appearance for the kitchen.
The company successfully introduced several modular kitchen designs into the marketplace during the 1960s and 1970s, working with a variety of European designers. In 1987, Arclinea partnered exclusively with Italian architect Antonio Citterio, who has remained the sole designer for the firm, designing and coordinating its six kitchen models: Italia, Mediterranea, Florida, Artusi, Convivium, and Lignum et Lapis, which was introduced at the 2008 Eurocucina Fair in Milan.
Since that time, Arclinea has been recognized with numerous awards, including Italy's highest design award, the Compasso d'Oro, and the 2004 Elle Decor Designer of the Year Award. Arclinea has also expanded beyond Italy, with locations in Europe, Asia, Australia, and North and South America. Its first standalone U.S. showroom opened in Boston in 2001, although the product was previously sold in Chicago. Today, Silvio Fortuna's grandson, also named Silvio Fortuna, is the chairman of the company.