Molteni&C Kitchens is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Dada, honouring a century-long journey of craftsmanship, innovation, and technological excellence in kitchen design.
From a penthouse on Leonard Street in Manhattan to luxury villas in Suzhou, a Victorian mansion in London, a 150m tower in Shanghai, and residences at New York’s Waldorf Astoria, Dada kitchens have become synonymous with extraordinary living spaces designed through artisanal mastery, precision, and Italian creativity.
The story began in 1926 in Marcallo, near Milan, when Angelo Garavaglia established an artisan workshop producing durable furniture and functional kitchens. At a time when kitchens were largely closed and utilitarian spaces, Dada laid the foundation for a more refined and enduring design philosophy.
Following the Second World War, the company expanded its operations with a sawmill and gradually shifted towards serial production of wardrobes and kitchens. During the transformative decades of the 1960s and 1970s, kitchens evolved into open, colourful, and technologically advanced living spaces. In 1972, under the direction of Gaetano Garavaglia, the Dada brand was officially launched.
A major milestone followed in 1979, when Dada joined the Molteni Group universe. The collaboration introduced advanced technologies, new synergies, and visionary designers such as Luca Meda, positioning Dada as a leading name in the high-end kitchen sector.
Over the decades, Dada introduced flexible and modular systems including Vela, Nuvola, Banco, Tivalì, Hi-Line, Set, and Trim. The brand also expanded internationally through collaborations with renowned architects and designers. Norman Foster selected Dada for residences at Albion Wharf in Battersea, while Giorgio Armani partnered with the brand for luxury towers worldwide through the Armani | Dada collaboration. Meanwhile, Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron commissioned Dada kitchens for the iconic Leonard Street project in Manhattan.
Beyond aesthetics, Dada kitchens evolved into integrated systems featuring advanced technologies and patented solutions such as the Fold&Slide opening system and innovative rotating storage columns developed through dedicated research and development.
In the 2000s, Vincent Van Duysen, Creative Director of Molteni&C, introduced monolithic volumes, tactile materials, and architectural kitchen systems through collections such as VVD and Ratio.
Van Duysen also designed Physis, set to debut this year, featuring unified construction logic across base units, wall units, and tall units. Defined by soft rounded lines and fluid spatial continuity, the concept aims to redefine the visual language of contemporary kitchens worldwide.
As Dada marks its centenary, Molteni&C Kitchens continues to demonstrate how Italian craftsmanship, innovation, and timeless design can evolve while remaining rooted in heritage and quality.
