Design Intent

The project focuses on the idea that objects can be understood as living presences, not only through their form or materials, but through their behaviour.

Alessi 9091 is recognised for its distinctive bi-tonal whistle, activated when water reaches boiling point. This sound transforms a functional signal into a moment of interaction within the domestic space.

Rather than redesigning the kettle, the project isolates this sonic gesture and places it in a different context. A hand-operated bellows activates two party horns, shifting the whistle from a functional warning to an expressive, almost performative act.

Form & Interpretation

The object is reduced to an essential structure designed to give space to sound.

The use of fragile, playful elements introduces a poetic tension between familiarity and displacement, allowing sound to become a carrier of memory, time and emotion. 

Research Outcome

Alessi 9091.BT is not intended as a commercial proposal, but as a design reflection.
The project represents an exercise in critical observation, reinforcing the idea that personal research is a fundamental tool for refining one’s design language and informing future projects.

The project is conceived as an open research, rather than a finished object.