TAVOLO A DISCHI
BY CARLO DE CARLI
Stacked-disc dining table is a mid-century Italian masterpiece
THE DESIGN LOVERS’ DARLING
First launched by Sormani in 1963, the Tavolo a Dischi was immediately lauded for its originality, and remained in production for the next two decades, becoming a much-admired feature of many design lovers’ homes around Europe, as well as a centerpiece in studies and conference rooms.
A MULTI-LAYERED MASTERPIECE
A single glance at the Tavolo a Dischi is enough to see that the table is a work of architecture as much as it is a piece of design. Formed from stacked concentric wooden discs, the Tavolo a Dischi is De Carli’s response to Eero Saarinen’s iconic Tulip Table – a design he loved. Over a dinner conversation with the pioneering furniture producer Luigi Sormani, De Carli envisaged a table of similar silhouette, defined by overlapping wooden discs of varying diameters around a central core.
‘The Tavolo a Dischi occupies pride of place in my home today, so the fact that GUBI decided to reintroduce it is both personally rewarding and a testament to the originality and relevance of my father’s design.
– Margherita De Carli, daughter of Carlo de Carli
FSC® CERTIFIED
Though simple in its silhouette, the Tavolo a Dischi’s construction is complex in form, structure, and aesthetic detail. Stacked 3 cm-thick discs of FSC® Mix-certified birch plywood (FSC® C176589) conceal a cylindrical metal core, which lends the table stability. The base is accented by a protective band of burnished brass-toned steel, creating an engaging contrast with the wood’s material expression.
CARLO DE CARLI
Carlo De Carli was a central figure in Italian design during the mid-20th century. He played a key role at the Milan Triennale and the Politecnico di Milano’s Faculty of Architecture, where he passionately advocated for local furniture production as a cornerstone of Italy’s traditional craft culture.
One of Italy’s leading furniture producers of the time, Vittorio Bonacina, shared De Carli’s vision of a unified approach to Italy’s furniture industry, and commissioned him to design several pieces for his company. The Poltrona Tria in rattan emerged from this collaboration – one of De Carli’s final furniture designs before he dedicated himself entirely to research and teaching.
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