Leaf Table (2010)

The Leaf Table combines the craftsmanship of a blacksmith with high-tech digital manufacturing processes. Tough but elegantly formed steel legs become more and more re ned, like a tree trunk grows into the tiny veins of a leaf. The metal frame of the table is generated by algorithms in several steps. The legs were generated by introducing a rotational force to the topology, optimizing stability. The structure then branches out into a round at surface subdivided according to a Voronoi diagram; a pattern found everywhere in nature. After the frame was created with the help of computer-controlled etching and laser-cutting tools, it was placed upside down in a mold to cast the tabletop. Its UV resistant resin is cast in between the refined metal framework that binds the structure. Both the resin and the metal benefit from each other for strength. This is, of course, a risky process, since it can only be done once.

In 2011 we were asked to develop an installation of tables for renowned Korean art gallery Kukje. Based on the Leaf Table concept we developed the Forest Tables, a series of tables that fit together like tree canopies in a forest and can be assembled in various compositions.

(photocredit: Kukje Gallery, Leonard Faustle, Friedman Benda Gallery)