Continuing their long-standing relationship with award-winning duo GamFratesi, Danish design company GUBI has launched the Epic Table Collection. Named after the epic poems of ancient times, the table is a sculptural piece of furniture inspired by Greek columns and Roman architecture. Made in Italy from travertine stone, the monolithic form emphasises the materiality of the stone, the natural beauty of its veins, and the vibrant texture of its unique patina – in which a new detail can be discovered with every use.
‘Without material there is no soul. Positioning the material at the centre of the project is an intellectual act and celebrating unusual stones and natural finishes is aligned with our practice and GUBI’s cerebral and contemporary take on the traditional,’ say Stine Gam and Enrico Fratesi, the founders of GamFratesi. Jacob Gubi Olsen, Owner & Creative Director, GUBI, elaborates: ‘GUBI was a first mover in reintroducing marble to the home and we love natural stone, but we are always curious about new expressions and materials. Travertine has a completely different materiality and structure to marble and even in the same colours, can express many different tones and variations.’
The Epic Table is a celebration of Italian travertine stone, in response to the growing desire for the honesty and authenticity of natural materials. The introduction of this little-known stone and the careful selection of colours and open textures keep its materiality alive in the final product. Individual pieces are selected for the strength of their veining and striations, giving each table a unique expression of its own identity. A light filler and matte treatment on the tabletop and base protect the surfaces, while allowing its natural tactility to be experienced as if cut from the rock.
Inspired by historical examples of travertine constructions such as the Colosseum and Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and the 1970s revival of the material in Southern Europe, the table combines two simple geometric shapes, the circle and the hexagon, with references to the classical Greek column. This new expression showcases and enhances the material, while maintaining a formal simplicity. The hexagonal column is an intelligent solution that enables a substantial expression to be efficiently constructed from minimal materials.
The Stone options include Neutral White, Vibrant Gray or colourful Burnt Red, and as these beautiful images demonstrate, each create a focal point of differing intensity, bringing both personality, naturalness and tactility to interior spaces. The varying heights and diameters within the Epic Table Series mean a single monochromatic table can stand alone or be combined in dynamic clusters of varying height and colour. Combining the tables with wooden, metallic or textile pieces allows for further contrasting groupings.
The Epic Table is the result of a shared journey of discovery into travertine stone as a natural material. A quest for the archetypal origins of the material’s use in design and architecture ran alongside an in-depth study of different stones, colours and finishes, before lengthy experimentation with proportions, weight and form revealed the harmonious balance between base, geometry and tabletop in the final product.
I love that the tables in this collection are more than just visually beautiful. They tell an inspiring story that references history, combining rich materiality with considered design.
The Epic Collection will be in stores from January 2020.
Images courtesy of GUBI