GUBI

Doric

‘‘By reinterpreting a feature of Classical architecture, the Doric Table brings the weight of history into a contemporary environment. The particular shape of the leg manages to be rigid and formal but at the same time decorative and soft. In the fluted detail, a solid stone element becomes ornamental, while maintaining the overall geometry of the design.’’

The Doric Coffee Table takes its name from the Doric order of ancient Greek – and later Roman – architecture. The oldest and least ornamental of the three Classical orders, Doric architecture is characterized by restraint, symmetry, and simplicity, with decorative features generally limited to the vertical fluting that is so closely associated with the Doric column.

The defining feature of the Doric Table is the inward curve of the legs, the result of material subtraction from a simple shape. What could have been a monolithic, hard-edged profile is given an unexpected and alluring lightness and softness by carving into each of its four legs – a contemporary reinterpretation of the fluted detailing often found in the Doric column.

A response to the architectural traditions of the Classical era, Doric Table continues an exploration that the duo began with the and extends the studio’s material investigation into the aesthetic and functional possibilities of limestone. The result is two very different expressions, and two distinct responses to the same inspiration: the Classical column.

By recontextualizing this single architectural detail in a piece of furniture, Doric Table succeed in imbuing the design with a sense of history that counterbalances its unmistakably modern appearance. While the table’s surface showcases the natural beauty of the stone, its legs demonstrate the sculptural quality of the piece, and emphasize the level of craftsmanship that has gone into its creation.

Like the Danish-Italian pairing that informs GamFratesi as a practice, the Doric Table is a design of dualities, contrasts and harmonies, synthesizing seemingly opposing characteristics into a single coherent expression.

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