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BURL - Low table

I love using wood with its own unique history. My commitment to saving the wood from the diseased elms in Copenhagen during the late 1990s gave me the opportunity to create this hexagonal table made of wood from an elm tree that stood in the public square Kongens Nytorv in central Copenhagen. 

The centre of the table is made of granite from the Danish island of Bornholm, the same type that is used for the paving on the square. The table was inspired by the low plank tables that are used in Japan for dining and parties. The low height brings you closer to the floor and makes it easier for children to use the table. The stone top is very functional, as it can be used for hot pots and dishes. The legs are joined directly to the underside of the tabletop using powerful mortises at an oblique angle that lends the tabletop a floating appearance and eliminates the need for stretchers underneath.

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INSPIRATION: DUTCH ELM DISEASE - COPENHAGEN · DENMARK‍

During the late 1990s, the elm trees in Copenhagen were suddenly infected with a disease that condemned them all to be cut down. I joined the project Green Furniture, which involved cutting the large elm trees into planks at various public events to distribute them to Copenhagen residents. Another, related activity was an exhibition at Designmuseum Danmark featuring of durable quality furniture made from local elmwood. For the event, one of the beautiful elm trunks was transported into the courtyard of the design museum.

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At an event on Kongens Nytorv, I managed to secure some unique elmwood burls from a tree that lived out its long life in the middle of the square. One of the burls was cut into planks. After 10 years’ storage on a loft, the round discs had curved but could be cut in half and combined into a hexagon. The sections of the table are joined together with dovetail joints made of hawthorn from the park behind the National Gallery of Denmark in Copenhagen.

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