CANDELA TABLES

The Candela Tables are an homage to a pioneer architect who pushed the boundaries of concrete during the 1950’s in Mexico, Felix Candela. This concept uses Glass Reinforced Concrete, GFRC, to create an otherwise impossible design in concrete nowadays, as Candela did for structural concrete in his time. This design has a strong bond with Mexican modernism by reinterpreting it to a contemporary furniture design for both indoor and outdoors.

Using Candela’s concept of “Cascarones” (thin shells made out of reinforced concrete) together with the lightness and fluidity of modern GFRC, it was possible to create thin surfaces with dramatic forms that push these material technology forward. The geometric hypars are both elegant, and enduring work of structural design in concrete.

In the coffee table, the concrete body’s edge floats in waves and is topped by a glass surface that allows visibility of the concrete body. Using the same geometric reasoning, the waves are cut down to create a smaller and taller side table. The choice of materials are also a reference to Mexican modernism and the excitement of creating daring structural designs.

Client: Concreteworks
Photography: Concreteworks
Year: 2018

Presented at

Salone Satellite during the Milan Furniture Fair April 2018