Was the British-French airliner Concorde going through Emmanuel Gallina’s mind when he came up with the idea for the Concorde dining table, produced for Poliform in 2012 It certainly doesn’t leave terra firma like the finely sculptured aeroplane, but this dining table has a similar lightness and erudite feel.
Emmanuel Gallina, the award-winning designer who shares his time between Milan and Bordeaux, refers to the words of eminent sculptor Constantin Brancusi (whose work is given over to an entire museum adjacent to the Pompidou Museum in Paris) as being a source of inspiration for his approach to design: ‘Simplicity is complexity resolved’.
Produced in partnership with Poliform
The Concorde Table | Image courtesy of Poliform
The Concorde Table | Image courtesy of Poliform
Those familiar with Constantin Brancusi’s work will appreciate the finesse and purity of each line. Likewise, Emmanuel’s Concorde dining table is masterfully handled with a branch-like timber base that supports either a chamfered-edged marble top or one in timber. Timeless, elegant and avoiding faddish design for the moment, the Concorde design, also released as a desk, addresses Emmanuel’s avoidance of simply ‘style’.
“I avoid all styles and trends to concentrate on harmony and making comfortable spaces,” Emmanuel says, as quoted in Prestige magazine. (Liviani Putri, 20 April 2020). He further elaborates by saying that “People nowadays need things that make sense, that gives them warmness and wellbeing”.
The Concorde Table in the Woollahra Home by Brooke Aitken | Photography by Prue Ruscoe
The Concorde Table in the Woollahra Home by Brooke Aitken | Photography by Prue Ruscoe
Many contemporary designers refer to the work of the great modernist Le Corbusier, whose architecture is often referred to as a ‘machine for living’ for their inspiration. However, Emmanuel calls on less prominent designers such as interior architect and furniture designer Pierre Chareau, responsible for Maison de Verre (House of Glass) in Paris, which was completed in 1932. Another interior designer Jean Michel Frank, who moved from Paris to New York in the early 1940s, has also made an indelible mark on Emmanuel. “These designers created modern spaces using rich and textured materials,” he says.
The Concorde dining table celebrates the richness found in marble, offering this table in a matt or glossy gold Calcutta, Carrara or Emperador (seven choices of marble are available) as well as walnut or oak. Recipient of a wallpaper* design award in 2011, this table has become a favourite with architects and interior designers looking for the finest in contemporary furniture, but also a timeless design.
The Concorde Table | Image courtesy of Poliform
The Concorde Table in Agnes St by Alexandra Kidd Design | Photography by Justin Alexander
Interior designer Kendra Pinkus has coveted the Concorde table since it was released. “I’ve used it in a couple of projects but I’m still waiting to have it in my own home. It just has that elegance to it, and it never dates,” Kendra says, who sees the dining table as one of the key items in any home. “It’s the centre of any house, a gathering place for the entire family or even when you’re on your own and at looking at your iPad,” she adds.
Kendra also appreciates the variety of finishes that come with the Concorde table. “You can have a table with a timber top for a beach house setting or go for something more urban in marble for a penthouse apartment in the city, think Upper East Side New York.” However, whether the Concorde finds its way into a beach house, luxurious home or apartment, it’s the touch that resonates. “I love the table’s soft edges. They’re so sensuous that you continually find yourself stroking it. It’s just a classic,” Kendra adds.
The Concorde Table in the Paddington Home by Melinda Clarke Interiors Photography by Francoise Baudet
The Concorde Table | Image courtesy of Poliform
The Concorde Table in Parsley Bay by Brooke Aitken | Photography by Prue Ruscoe
