WORDS Gina Dionisio
Luxury Italian kitchen brand, Officine Gullo, has opened its first South African showroom on Strand Street in the heart of Cape Town. To celebrate the launch, the showroom will also serve as an ICTAF exhibition space for Southern Guild showcasing the work of local artist Conrad Hicks.
Officine Gullo‘s first showroom on South African soil, which opened its doors on 15 February, is expected to quickly establish itself as a destination for members of the local design community and professionals in the luxury interior industry. The new showroom will not only be an important showcase for the South African market, but it will also represent a strategic location of great importance for the rest of Africa, where industry professionals can meet and exchange ideas.
“Besides being one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Cape Town is globally recognised as a contemporary design hub, making it a desirable destination for Officine Gullo,” says Andrea Gullo, General Director, Officine Gullo.
To celebrate the opening and their partnership with the Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Officine Gullo has collaborated with Southern Guild to showcase the work of critically-acclaimed artist and blacksmith Conrad Hicks.
“We believe in the creative power of collaboration and welcome partnerships which showcase South Africa’s makers, artisans and artists,” says Trevyn McGowan, co-founder of Southern Guild. “Our expanding gallery programme celebrates the ingenuity of the human hand and the labour-intensive processes that elevate the prosaic to the sublime. Hicks’ resolute approach to materiality and craftsmanship aligns with the singular design ethos of Officine Gullo.”
Conrad’s works have a synergy with Officine Gullo, which is celebrated for its bespoke solutions, offering a wide range of customisable compositions, colours and finishes, that promise to reflect the uniqueness of each design.
The showroom will display items from all main Officine Gullo collections, and will boast two complete kitchens, featuring products from the Tailor Made and Contemporanea collections. Various cooking ranges, appliances and accessories will also be on exhibition to the public.
Conrad Hick’s work will be on show at the Officine Gullo Cape Town Showroom, located at 94 Strand Street, from 15 February to 15 March 2023 (Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm). For more information, visit officinegullo.com.
Looking for more design inspiration? Sign up to our weekly newsletter, here.
