Form follows function: the sleek design of the telescopic swivel ventilator is award-winning: among several Gaggenau products, the VL051 has been honored in the oldest and most prestigous design competition in the world - the 2002 Good Design Award at the Chicago Athenaeum Museum for Architecture and Design. The direct ventilation system has two automatic positions: one at 2-1/4 inches above the cooking surface for grilling, and the other at the maximum 15-3/4-inch elevation for a saucepan. At the maximum height, the ventilator arm rotates through 90 degrees to either side. If the automatic positions prove less than ideal for the task at hand, you can always raise or lower the arm to precisely the required height using the control knob. After use, the arm centers itself and retracts into the cooktop automatically.