Alada, 1985

 

Producer: HG Estudi

www.hgestudi.com

The challenge faced was twofold: to design a table to complement the Varius chair, which had been presented the year before, and to ensure that its legs would not get in the way when people sat down around it. OTB knew that a central leg was the best for such a table, and that the table cover would be of glass. He opted to make a wooden base. Thus arose the structure formed by two central leg panels which form an X at the centre, supporting the table top with its unusual oval shape and concave outer rim. The cover juts out, leaving ample leg-room, and has an acid engraved pattern, heightening its appearance.

    Although its creator was determined to have a solid wooden base, it was finally decided to use cast aluminium (1988), as wood presented deformation problems. The lesson learnt was that one should not try to experiment with other people's crafts, and that designing a table is nearly as difficult as designing a chair.