DORIC COFFEE TABLES
BY GAMFRATESI
The Doric Coffee Table by GamFratesi 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 CLASSICAL COLUMN
A response to the architectural traditions of the Classical era, GamFratesi’s Doric Table continues an exploration that the duo began with the Epic Table, 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.
A FINE BALANCE
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.
CLASSICAL MEETS CONTEMPORARY
By recontextualizing this single architectural detail in a piece of furniture, GamFratesi 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.
‘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.’
Stine Gam and Enrico Fratesi, GamFratesi
DESIGN OF DUALITIES
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.
As well as balancing the historic and the contemporary, the table is both curved and geometric, hard and soft, with the rectangular form of the tabletop counterbalanced by its gently rounded corners and the decorative contours of the carved legs. In the same way, it is solid and monumental, but it also has a delicacy to it, a lightness of presence and a sculptural quality that enriches its aesthetic expression while enhancing its versatility as a piece of furniture.
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UNIQUE CHARACTER
The table is available in two types of natural stone, each with its own distinctive color. The travertine version is a beautifully nuanced Neutral White; whereas the limestone is a vivacious Electric Gray, which has a more dramatic pattern. Every piece produced in these stones is unique, the ancient history of the Earth written into its surface.
The Doric Table is available in two sizes: a square version, ideal for cozy corners, and a larger oblong variant, which pairs well with longer seats and sofas.
GAMFRATESI
GamFratesi has been working with GUBI since the inception of their studio. With their own dual heritage, Italian Enrico Fratesi and Danish Stine Gam share GUBI’s ability to synthesize seemingly opposing ideas – the classic and the contemporary, the intellectual and the sensual, the understated and the expressive, the manufactured and the unique. This alluring combination of styles is perfectly embodied in the Doric Table’s harmonic balance of the historic and the contemporary.