SKS, the brand specialist in luxury built-in appliances, has opened its new showroom at The MART, the renowned Chicago landmark and point of reference for design in the Midwest.

Extending for over 850 square meters, the space designed by Piero Lissoni with Lissoni Architecture New York is inspired by a theatre where the products become protagonists dialoguing directly with the industrial nature of this historic Chicago building.

Each of the five bespoke kitchens is represented on a special and dedicated set, where they exhibit their own unique character with styles that extend from Transitional to Modern.

At the center of the space, an eight-meter-long dining table, flanked by large LED screens, becomes the stage for an immersive experience that combines culinary and visual presentations.

The products become performers against a backdrop of neutral materials: refined white oak flooring contrasts with walls and columns hand-finished in an earthy shade of roman plaster, which allows the imperfections of the pre-existing architecture to emerge. Almost all the ceilings were left exposed in order to reinforce the relationship between the contemporary interiors and the rich history of the site.

“For me, the spaces where design pieces are presented are like theaters where the product takes the leading role, an actor moving through the set.
When I began to think of an architecture for the SKS showroom, I imagined it as a stage where the scenery periodically shifts and the products have the capacity to change roles. The beauty of this project lies in the fact that every SKS product can take centerstage, and each space is a story that can be illuminated. On the one hand we show the role that each product plays within its own particular setting, and on the other we tell the story of the extremely sophisticated, wide-ranging and distinct collection of an international brand leader.”

Piero Lissoni

Design team:
Piero Lissoni with Stefano Giussani, Antonio Rinaldi

Photographer: Petrini Studio
Styling: Carin Scheve