Fisher & Paykel - 'Tomorrow's Kitchen' launch

Fisher & Paykel has launched its new Izona range of kitchen appliances. This great event was held at Sydney Technology Park in Redfern.

By Patrick Avenell

Fisher & Paykel has launched its new Izona range of kitchen appliances. The event, held in Sydney, was a mixture of Mediterranean food, South American music and Mexican beverages — an indicator to the multicultural aspects of Fisher & Paykel itself.

Held at Sydney Technology Park in Redfern, invited guests were drawn from the retail, architecture, design and media sectors. The event began with guests drinking mojitas while viewing two live art pieces modeled on the Baroque artists of Europe. Food was self-service, with guests choosing filling plates from a variety of classic southern European meats and cheeses.

Speaking at the event was Fisher & Paykel head of industrial design Mark Elmore. He explained the process leading to the Izona range, which is a high-end collection of kitchen appliances designed to be both functional and attractive.

“It is impossible to achieve this level of product change with superficial design improvement,” Elmore has previously said. “The Izona range required new philosophies for engineering and manufacturing, and inspired some key new technologies”.

After the speeches, guests were entertained by a tap fusion dance ensemble that accompanied the house music with improvised clapping and tapping with pots and pans.

Consequently, Fisher & Paykel showed off its shipping container that has been fitted out to represent two kitchens. The first is a traditional, modern kitchen of today, which leads into the Izona kitchen of ‘tomorrow’. This container, dubbed ‘Ironside’, is set to tour the country as part of the Izona rollout.

Models in the Izona range include the CookSurface (CG903MLB1, RRP $3,999), which is a three-burner hob; the VentSurface (HC90MXB1, RRP $3,499 for the 90 cm wall mounted version), which is an intuitive steam sensor extraction system (the appliance previously known as a rangehood); and the CoolDrawer (RB90S64MKIW, RRP $3,499), which is a fully automated refrigerator in a drawer.

The target markets of this range are financially secure people looking for a premium kitchen in a new house or as part of a refurbishment.

“The baby boomers are the growth sector of the market. They are at the stage of life and financial position to buy what they want, when they want, without worrying,” said Elmore.

Live Art