Core Table

Materials: Up-cycled concrete, steel
Dimensions: 18" H x 8" W x 8" L

Furniture made with concrete encourages an approachable relationship to the industrial materials found in urban centres; goods that have an immediate purpose and with which we form intimate relationships facilitate dialogue with the city around us. Our intimacy with domestic goods contributes to our sphere of security, that is, an environment where we are willing to rest and be vulnerable. When domestic goods utilize industrial materials they enter our sphere of security consequently enabling residents of urban centres to take ownership of and pleasure in their urban surroundings.

Concrete is integral to the construction of cities; it is the structural material of choice for columns, walls, and floors in buildings. Concrete must be cored to facilitate plumbing and electrical utilities. Once cut, these cores are commonly thrown out; they are a by-product of construction. The exposed aggregate cores lay bare the invisible structural detail of the urban environment from which they are taken. These cores are the very heart of the cities we live in and they are simply cast aside.

The Core Table preserves a small part of the heart of our urban landscapes by utilizing an up-cycled, polished concrete core. Concrete cores would not exist without cities; the Core Table is a totem of urban construction and an authentic representation of a civilization united in the creation of a city. The concrete base of the Core Table mirrors the concrete foundation of the building from which the core was drawn and, as a consequence, this intimate object is not only constructed from our urban centres but reflects our urban skylines.

The visual language of the table is simple and honest. In keeping with the geometry of the base, the top is circular and without ornamentation. The concrete is left exposed and polished. Colour is used to amplify the statement: “This is the heart of the city”.

The Core Table encourages users to view their surroundings in a different way by contrasting materials and the users’ expectations of them. Likewise, the randomness of the compacted aggregate in the concrete contrasts the simplicity of the steel surface. The Core Table is designed to accommodate the flexible spaces that city dwellers are familiar with. As the table is small in size it allows users to place it individually in small spaces or in groupings for larger areas. The top is also removable to reduce package size during transportation.

Design engages and contributes to the development of the user’s identity. The Core Table authentically represents the very heart of the urban landscape from which it is formed. By bringing the Core Table into their sphere of security users develop an intimacy with their urban environment which, in turn, propels a sense of ownership and a vested interest in the health of their city.

Please allow 3-5 weeks for production. Each table will have an individual pattern of aggregate and cement colour.