When Le Corbusier designed his Brutalist Unité d’Habitation structures in Marseilles and Berlin, the architect imagined these as models for the future of vertical urban living. But, as they say in war: his plans didn’t survive contact with the enemy.

Completed in 1958, the Berlin version in particular was altered internally prior to construction, meaning that the original layouts and details Corbu had it mind were largely left on the drawing table, replaced instead by cheaper, German-drafted plans. At least until German-American architect Philipp Mohr (images Didier Gaillard-Hohlweg) bought a unit in the building.

He purchased a condo that, at the time, “was all entirely white and looked more like a prison, or the typical 1980s German social housing, than anything Corbusier had ever designed.” Even the ceiling heights were out of alignment with the original design.

Mohr went beyond restoring the 1958 format format, studying historical design documents at the Foundation Le Corbusier and the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine in Paris to see past what was actually built.

With the big picture in hand, he set about studying colors, lighting, finishes, plans and other details of Corbu’s to replicate his original vision as much as possible.

Having finished the renovation, Mohr believes the space is better for it. “The colours are timeless and very soothing and inviting,” Mohr says. “The use of wood and natural finishes is comfortable and homely. The proportions are pleasing and the relationship to views and light is positive and uplifting.”

Designed to serve as an ersatz kitchen for those living without, this seven-in-one design features a cutting board, an induction hob, a pot and pan, a wrap for utensils and cutlery, a dish rack, all tucked into a portable box.

While it may sound like a dystopian product for a generation that can’t afford houses, it could come in handy for those sharing kitchens at places like the Royal College of Art, where designer Yu Li created it.

But the target, says the designer, “the end users are millennials, young professionals who don’t have sufficient kitchen space. They might be sharing the kitchen with others – facing the situation of ‘kitchen traffic’ – or living alone in a studio with a kitchenette.”

The back pulls out to be used as a tray, which can also be turned into a drying rack. The induction hob has a timer and temperature controls. “The idea is to trim the original kitchen space down to a few minimal elements so space can be designed simpler, neater and transformed into other purposes to increase the space utilisation.”

As more and more novel apartment units get built in which some spaces are shared, this could be at least a temporary solution, if not a real answer to the systemic problem of home affordability. That, or it could be a great camping (or glamping) companion.

If these designs are any indication, the kitchen of the future is modular, minimalist, mobile and so unobtrusive that it can practically blend into the furniture in your living room. Whether you love a more rustic handcrafted aesthetic or want your house to look like the interior of a spaceship, these modern kitchen designs radically depart from contemporary interiors for the sake of both looks and functionality.

Invisible Kitchen by i29 Architects

When it’s not needed, the kitchen in this historic Parisian apartment disappears altogether, blending into the wall. The top surface of the center island measures just about an inch thick to add to the sense of lightness, making the room’s classic woodwork its focal point. Dutch firm i29 Architects developed the ‘Invisible Kitchen’ system to be adaptable, so the front facade always mimics another wall in the room.

Aquarium Kitchen Island by Robert Kolenik

The ‘Ocean’ kitchen island by Robert Kolenik not only places an island countertop on an oversized aquarium, but also includes a mechanism that lifts the top vertically to provide access to the tank for feeding and maintenance.

Transparent Cookspace by Tokujin Yoshioka

Cooking implements, tableware and other small objects are partially visible yet still obscured in a translucent cook space by Tokujin Yoshioka, developed for Toyo Kitchen Style.

Sculptural ICE Kitchen by Tom Dixon

Departing radically from the look of a typical contemporary kitchen, ICE by Tom Dixon consists of monolithic triangular prisms in various shapes and sizes that form the base of a luxurious kitchen made of ‘caesarstone’ premium quartz surfaces.

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Not Your Grandmas Kitchen 17 Modern Designs For The Discerning Cook

Dishwashers have become household items in many American homes but have changed little since their invention, leaving room for improvement (especially in cases where ‘room’ is an issue). Many of the small problems associated with the traditional design are not initially obvious until pointed out — we are simply too used to them.

Front-loading versions can take up considerable space while taking dishes in and out. We take for granted, for instance, that the loading and unloading processes often have to be dedicated, all-at-once tasks in kitchens where folded-down doors get in the way. Pushing washer shelves in and out while moving around and loading adds unnecessary time to the equation. Front-loader doors also represent a potential point of failure if their water seals are degraded or damaged.

Designers Moshen Jafari Malek and Behzad Taheri have decided to take a different approach, developing a top-loading variant that addresses workflow and leaks as well as space issues.

Putting the spray bar in the center also eliminates another problem with certain conventional designs: getting things equally clean on all racks and levels. The designers also note that a variable-height center shelf could allow more versatility in terms of including larger pots and pans.

At the same time, the vertical design avoids messing with what works: porous wire-frame shelves and side containers for silverware. It makes you wonder: what other ordinary appliances are just waiting for a simple but powerful redesign?

A clever domestic design to eliminate ungainly collections of measuring spoons and cups, Polygons is an ingenious cooking multi-tool that measures different amounts on demand and packs flat when not in use.

The key to the device is its flexibility, and not just in terms of measuring. Its creators claim it can flex up to 100,000 times without breaking thanks to TPR-based hinges.

Each tool (a teaspoon and tablespoon variant) has four different measuring configurations and can also be used to spread things in its flat formation.

The creators claim it works equally well with runny and viscous liquids as well as powders, then wash easily to avoid stains and smells.

If the material science side of the project holds it could have a lot more applications as well for everyday-use objects that need to bend without extraneous hinging mechanisms (which add bulk to a product as well as a point of failure and cracks for dirt and debris).