The Riddled Table

Architect Steven Holl’s affinity to concepts like Phenomenology and porosity is well documented. It is clear that Holl’s outlook steers the focus on the “physical experience of building materials and their sensory properties” (says wikipedia). Hence its comes as no surprise that most of the perforated furniture deigned by Steven Holl Architects, springboards towards stimulating and capricious imagery.

The Riddled Table, which has been designed for HORM, is a result of the collaborative effort between Holl and Nick Gelpi. The Table is a testament to the impassioned Holl vision which lays emphasis on the multi-sensory experience and depicts how artwork can flawlessly merge into sustainable design.

The Riddled Table also exemplifies the entrancing juxtaposition of materiality and translucency. As light permeates the glass top and filters through, the table’s perforated surfaces make for a bravura play of illumination and silhouette.

The over-size glass top of the table further seems to highlight the two laser cut Canaletto walnut and aluminum legs. The intricate pattern on the two solids underline the exquisite craftsmanship that manages to lend a cascading aura to the table.

The Riddled Table is a veritable effort by Steven Holl Architects to make sustainable furniture in absolute coherence with artistic aesthetics. With the Riddled Table, both Holl and Gelpi have done away with the typical utilitarian design clichés. At the same time, their ingenuity with the perforated material seems to enhance rather than compete with the table’s architecture, which is a feat in itself.