Traditional Korean Tables get a modern day interpretation with a microarchitecture inspired design that nudges conversations

Silence is an idea that doesn’t always connote something positive to a lot of people. Depending on the people you’re with or your personality itself, it can be something awkward or it can be something refreshingly comfortable. For those that might find those moments a bit unnerving, having some white noise or at least some music to fill in those silences. A new concept using microarchitecture or a combination of the fields of furniture or architecture aims to solve this problem that some people may encounter.

Designer: Reina Mun

SilenceTop is a table concept that goes away from the usual wooden materials and look that conventional Korean furniture typically use. Instead, you get something that looks like it would be at home at a steam punk cafe except that it is a bit more peaceful than the usual furniture you see in that style. It uses glass and a transparent design that shows off the mechanical workings of the table. It is able to seat three people at the most with 75cm distance between each person, using the proxemic theory which allows optimal conversation between people.

But what really makes this table stand out is that it will fill in the silence that may occur every once in a while when you’re spending some time with friends or acquaintances. The social mode is activated when there are more than one person sitting around the table. When there is silence for a certain amount of time, a kalimba, a modern interpretation of the Mbira instruments from Zimbabwe. The initial sound is low-pitch semitone tines and the only way to stop it would be to start talking again. The more silences it detects, the faster and more “aggressive” the tones will become.

It also has a lone mode which is when just one person is sitting at the table or in the vicinity. This mode “respects” your silence and helps you embrace it by generating a mist that should be relaxing and bring “serene ambience” to whatever activity it is you’re doing on your own. Unfortunately, the mist will of course bring moisture and dampen the table itself so if you’re writing or reading, you might want to put some distance between you and the table.

I am pretty much comfortable with the occasional silences in between conversations with friends but I also wouldn’t mind having the relaxing tones of a kalimba permeate that silence. Some people will find the tones annoying though and may want to start talking again just to get rid of the sound. But it is an interesting concept for a table, especially now that we’ve gone back to spending time in person with friends and new acquaintances.

The post Traditional Korean Tables get a modern day interpretation with a microarchitecture inspired design that nudges conversations first appeared on Yanko Design.

This foldable table can be taken anywhere to easily adapt to your work scenario!

Tables are workstations, creativity hubs, brainstorming posts, and landing strips for storing everyday items. The multifaceted personality of the table is what makes them so versatile and yet so limiting– a dining room table cluttered with unread mail and stacks of papers can’t also be used for dining unless you want dried-up tomato sauce crusted over onto your assignment that’s due tomorrow. To provide a table that’s collapsible, portable, and adaptable to any working scenario, Yelim Kim, along with Alissa Arends and Leon Bucher created Plato, or “Fold It,” a table devoted to the daily working efforts of students and workers alike.

Plato is comprised of only two parts: a wooden desktop and a folding steel pipe. The foldable steel pipe enacts a hinged folding mechanism that allows its legs to recline and create a ledge with two pipes on which the wooden desktop can rest. Two steel clamps welded to fit the width of the wooden desktop are located on both ends of the steel pipes for the tabletop to securely latch onto. The easy assembly of Plato allows the foldable table to be used anywhere additional table space is needed.

Then, when the work is all finished, Plato’s tabletop can be dislodged from the welded steel clamps and transported or stored away for future use. The durability and solidity of Plato’s steel clamps allow weight to be evenly distributed across the tabletop and give Plato a simple, minimal structure, requiring no tools or hardware for assembly. Created for students and workers alike, Plato, or “Fold It” is a table designed for those late-night brainstorming sessions or post-presentation brunches.

Designer: Yelim Kim, Alissa Arends, and Leon Bucher

The simple, minimal design of Plato enhances its adaptability and makes it easy to dismantle and bring with you anywhere.

Comprised of only two parts, Plato is manageable to carry and turn into new workstations.

Two welded steel clamps provide a secure socket for Plato’s tabletop to lodge into.

 

Following multiple ideations, Plato’s collapsible form was achieved through miniature prototypes.

Plato’s steel pipes were welded to accurately and evenly distribute weight across the tabletop’s surface.

This adjustable desk with four different forms was constructed for designers to draw easily!

Artists spend a lot of time at their desks. It’s where all the magic happens. When they fail to provide what we need them for, it can get…frustrating. Sometimes it has to do with the height of the desk– the legs might be too short, resulting in using your spine to bend over the desktop just to get the final touches of a project done. Or, it could have to do with the angle of the desk– if it were just angled slightly lower, maybe the final draft would have already been completed. Recognizing the multiple issues that arise with artists, specifically designers, and their desks, Long Chan constructed Lift, a desk that can adjust to meet your needs.

From the right angle, Lift almost appears like a heavy-duty, oversized wooden TV tray table, but looking at it head-on, it’s rectified as the designer’s workstation. While my days spent eating chicken noodle soup on a TV tray table while watching Cartoon Network are over, Lift utilizes a sliding mechanism that echoes the same one as the iconic living room staple from yesteryear. In order to assume different shapes, Lift depends on two sliding wooden pegs on both sides. The sliding wooden pegs on Lift’s front legs lower the desk’s working space to assume the shape of a traditional writing desk, with additional storage space is made available in the process, similar to that of a traditional secretary desk. Then, the other sliding wooden peg, placed along the side of the desktop, adjusts the desktop to form a drawing workstation, which sets the working space of the desk at an angle.

Being a designer himself, Long Chan felt inspired to create Lift for those fussy scenarios where a traditional writing desk just doesn’t cater to all the needs of a designer. Speaking to this, Chan says, “When the designer needs [to work in] digital…mode, he can move the height to 85cm by rotating the axis on both sides. When the designer needs to take a rest or stand, he can adjust to 110cm height. Of course, users can adjust the angle of the table while sitting, so they can draw easily and not be bothered by the problem of incorrect perspective.”

Designer: Long Chan

With deep cabinets like that of a secretary desk, Lift provides ample space for both working and storage.

Lift’s prototype shows the four different positions it can assume.

Lift’s form as a writing desk.

When the leg’s sliding wooden peg is activated, Lift takes the shape of a traditional secretary’s desk.

Or, adjust the angle slightly to read or draw without having to compromise your line of sight.

Lift’s versatility depends on the four wooden pegs that frame it.