Table, enamelled tubular metal, glass, plastic laminate over wood, 'Le Strutture Tremano', designed by Ettore Sottsass for Studio Alchymia, Milan, 1979.

Table, enamelled tubular metal, glass, plastic laminate over wood.

This table by Ettore Sottsass was designed for Studio Alchymia in Italy in 1979. The table was included in a collection by entitled the Bau.haus collection. The ironic title of the table 'Le Strutture Tremano', or 'The Structure Trembles' is a deliberate play on the modernist idea of visible structure and functionality. In this table, the tubular metal legs are made to appear unstable.

The Alchymia collections Bau.haus I and II explored the idea of banality and kitsch in the everyday environment, drawing on the colour palette and elements of the design vocabulary of the 1950s (not as a form of revivalism, but because the 1950s was a common reference for mass produced, everyday design in the average Italian home, still, in the 1970s). Sottsass' primary interest when working with Alchymia was the use of colour and pattern. He was also keen to explore the greater potential for the development of a more commercial business model for design, which he did with the foundation of Memphis in 1980. This table, which remained in production by Alchymia for some time (although never in great quantities) is also indicative of the type of objects produced under the auspices of Memphis, and is one of Sottsass' signature furniture design of the period.

designed for Studio Alchymia in Milan, Italy

W.8:1, 2-2010