The materiality of stone embodies the seemingly opposing spirits of both permanence and ductility – of structure and sculpture. Inspired by this idea, Norman Foster has designed a pair of stone tables symbolising the feminine and masculine form. These are part of a wider modular system. The project emerged when Italian natural stone company Citco expressed an interest in collaborating with the practice to produce a new range of stone furniture.
The tables – named Hadriana and Hadrian – essentially have two basic elements: a highly polished marble top with a singular sculpted free-form support of the same material. Hadriana has a softly sculpted cruciform central support that is wider at the base with a narrow waist, widening slightly where it meets the circular table top. While Hadrian has a more robust shape in the form of an oblong cylinder that has been pinched inwards along two ends to reduce its bulk. Both tables, despite the permanent quality of their stone, sit lightly on the floor. The connection between the two main elements of the table is made explicit in both cases, with the base profile piercing the top through a central cut-out.
The table top has a slightly curved profile, which continues the sensuous nature of the overall form, giving it a softness not just visually, but ergonomically as well. The design concept can create the individual tables as described but it is also a modular system where several table surfaces can be joined together using the sculpted supports as connectors. All the pieces will be available in Black Marquina and Bianco Carrara with polished finishes.
