There are very few people in design circles these days who aren’t familiar with the name Christopher Boots. His bespoke studio and signature aesthetic are taking the world by storm, as the talented designer revels in exploring the relationship between architecture, symbology and geometry found in nature in order to offer an unexpected interpretation through various natural materials and in his words, to create “future antiques designed for transforming architecture.”
As Gaggenau Melbourne prepared for the launch events that would celebrate the latest evolution of combi-steam ovens, the task was undertaken to partner with an artisan who held the same values as this historic brand in order to encapsulate the emotion and nuances that cooking with steam can evoke, through an installation within the flagship showroom.
The alignment between the Christopher Boots studio and Gaggenau was indisputable. With a similar ethos when it came to design and craftsmanship, not to mention both brands being a clear favourite with luxury clientele, Gaggenau knew that Boots was the perfect fit upon their very first meeting. From there, the installation began to take form, transforming the Gaggenau Melbourne showroom into a veritable fantasy realm where steam is life.
Inspiration is crucial in any collaborative endeavour, so when Gaggenau discussed this with Boots, and how he might represent the beauty of steam through a material so vastly different in composition, he explained, “You’ve got this fixture composed with all these beautiful slices of quartz, which usually comes in really large boulders. But as soon as you take that stone out of the ground and cut it up to these thin slices, you get this beautiful transparency that occurs through the stone.” He went on to explain, “In nature quartz crystals grow in these reefs. The ‘SUGAR BOMB’ represents being able to, through human skill, replicate nature.” An ideal fit indeed when it came to creating a synergy between an element as ethereal as steam and a light fixture.
Not content to have a single design as the sole hero of the installation, Boots selected a combination of two designs that would work beautifully together to create the atmosphere that Gaggenau were aiming to achieve for their launch. Boots recommended a choice of the SUGAR BOMB with the PETRA. He says, “Being able to respond to this brief of steam and engineering, precision, intensity of pressure and change, we selected these pieces for the Gaggenau steam launch. You have things like quartz and stone, which actually occurs because of pressure and change, so we thought that was a really nice thematic connection.”
When asked about the materiality of these particular designs, Boots elucidated, “The importance of craftsmanship, or craftspersonship, and choosing and selecting the right kind of material for these works is really critical, due to the natural variability that you get in each stone and in each piece of quartz. We really require an astute sense of aesthetic.”
When asked about his view of the collaborative installation, Boots says, “I feel the synergies between food and lighting cannot be separated. The quality of light directly affects how we perceive our food, and how attractive it is. So, for me, lighting and food go hand-in-hand.”
The brilliant success of the installation is evident in how seamlessly the Christopher Boots designs work alongside the Gaggenau appliances, perfectly blending design, precision and artisanal craftsmanship.