Summarize and humanize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in EnglishMario Cucinella affectionately recalls spending countless hours with his grandmother in the kitchen. Vivid bursts of her warm embrace and gentle wit–and how all those hearty meals she would piece together filled the air of his childhood home with comfort–creep in ever so often. Aptly entitled Memè, the nickname the celebrated Italian architect, designer, and author had for his beloved grandmother, is an enchanting reinterpretation of a timeless kitchen object, the sideboard. A love letter to Cucinella’s grandmother and inspired by her old kitchen cabinet, the interior piece by MCA (Mario Cucinella Architects) Design Atelier in collaboration with Officine Tamborrino is elegant, modular, multifunctional, sustainably crafted and bathed in the warmest palette.A storied symbol of domestic bliss, the sideboard houses, protects, and sets the rhythm of the liveliness around it. What lies at the heart of Memè’s modern identity is its outstanding modularity and flexibility. Characterized by its internal composition, the sideboard is made up of a container element with shelves, drawers, and doors, as well as two open elements with a worktop and storage shelves. Memè’s upper part is an innovative module for the hydroponic cultivation of aromatic plants and vegetables with integrated lighting. Blending the presence of nature with sophisticated interior design, the sideboard allows for cultivating a small home vegetable garden.All of its modules can be effortlessly assembled and dismantled as each can be used independently or as part of different configurations–a low sideboard, a wall unit, or a piece of furniture of contrasting heights, depending on one’s needs and preferences.Steel, the core material of Memè, is 100% recyclable and processed through advanced techniques that greatly reduce overall environmental impact. The sideboard’s meticulous craftsmanship stems from Officine Tamborrino’s expertise. Since its inception in 2012, the Italian company has been at the forefront of transforming the idea of the living space into an immersive and harmonious experience through the shaping and creating of distinct pieces and concepts.Memè’s shelves and internal components are colored in olive wood recovered from trees in the Puglia region affected by the Xylella bacterium. In this way, wood that would otherwise be discarded is given new life, restoring the uniqueness of a precious material with grains, colors, and scents created by nature over time. For Memè’s visual identity, Officine Tamborrino and MCA Design chose the Kerakoll Color Collection, consisting of 150 rapturous shades. For the simultaneously tranquilizing and enriching color palette of Memè, Cucinella has chosen Navy Blue, Natural Green, Desert Peach, and Neutral Pink.Born in Palermo in 1960, Cucinella founded MCA in Paris in 1992 and later established its headquarters in Bologna and Milan. In 2015, he created the SOS – School of Sustainability which is devoted to sustainable design. Cucinella’s contributions to architecture and education have earned him prestigious honors, including the International Fellowship from the Royal Institute of British Architects (2016) and the Honorary Fellowship from the American Institute of Architects (2017). He has taught at universities across Europe and penned several intriguing reads that explore human-centered approaches to sustainability and design innovation.Each piece of Memè evokes a collision between the past and present–and a refined openness to transformation. A blend between artisanal traditions, sustainability, and innovative practices, the charming sideboard’s silhouette seems carefully sculpted by nature as its steel surfaces reflect light, its fluid lines are reminiscent of motion, and domestic harmony dances throughout.
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