The Domestic Totem That Connects Us - The Table by Hecker Guthrie
Rigg Design Prize Series
Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Photography Shannon McGrath
Words Browyn Marshall
An Exploration Into Materiality & Design.

Winner of the Rigg Design Prize, Hecker Guthrie’s ‘The Table’ is founded in the untold story of an object that is engaged with so fluidly on a daily and lifelong basis, celebrating that connection as a beacon at the core of our domestic lives.

Inspired by the one modestly unassuming object in our domestic lives that has an invisible gravitational pull, a pull that binds its occupants in space, Hecker Guthrie’s ‘The Table’ is a celebration of the significance of the table as archetypal object. When deconstructed, the resulting fragments are elementary: a flat surface and one or more supporting structural components. Unintentionally, our domestic lives seem to almost orbit around this one singular object; it is the place we live (eat, drink, play, gather, converse, work, create). In all its forms, the table principally frames all our daily gestures.

Hecker Guthrie’s ‘The Table’ is founded in the untold story of a household object that is engaged with so fluidly on a daily and lifelong basis.

The Controlled Minimal Palette Of Timber, Render, Paint And Terracotta Allows The Many Interpretations Of The Table
Ceramic elements are used to accentuate the visual appeal of the timber table.

In a sea of terracotta, the table (in all its forms) becomes the hero. Beautifully crafted oak tables scatter the space, a reminder of its many functions. The controlled minimal palette of timber, render, paint and terracotta allows the many interpretations of the table form to be visible.

This Project Is Celebrating Design Connections As A Beacon At The Core Of Our Domestic Lives

In all its forms, the table principally frames all our daily gestures. In many ways the table is the social fulcrum of the modern family dynamic.

When Deconstructed, The Resulting Fragments Are Elementary A Flat Surface.
Soft lighting was key to the success of the design.

The story of the table is one of the subtle Muse. Inspiring bustle, encouraging stillness and being a place of reflection and assembly, this domestic totem is a summoning of familiarity. The primary intent of recreating this in curated setting is to conjure an emotional, and somewhat nostalgic, response to space, and an individual connection.

Inspiring Bustle, Encouraging Stillness And Being A Place Of Reflection And Assembly.

The design ethos of instilling a sense of soul into a space, particularly through texture and movement of materiality, is well articulated.

The Primary Intent Of Recreating This In Curated Setting Is To Conjure An Emotional Response.
The Table was constructed within a confined space.

Built within the required confined space, the vignettes created throughout, connecting the table structure and ceramic elements, remind us of our engagement with the table. Aligning with the many timeless projects from the Hecker Guthrie studio, the ethos of instilling a sense of soul into a space, particularly through texture and movement of materiality, is well articulated.

The Table by Hecker Guthrie is a place where materiality and an aesthetic become secondary.

The Ethos Of Instilling A Sense Of Soul Into A Space, Particularly Through Texture And Movement Of Materiality
The Table is a multi-layered design with bespoke detailing hidden in every corner and on every surface.

Hecker Guthrie’s response is multi-layered, yet somehow the clarity in its execution is so clear, reinforcing the connection with the audience and our own notions of domesticity. Transcending the idea of the table as merely objectified furniture, the stripping back of the structure to its most basic and recognisable form, where materiality and an aesthetic become secondary, a domestic landscape constructed entirely out of the ‘table’ emerges. The table as surface, the table as support, the table as enclosure. The story of ‘The Table’ is a story of us.

The table as surface, the table as support, the table as enclosure. The story of ‘The Table’ is a story of us.

Where Materiality And An Aesthetic Become Secondary.
Exploring The Unassuming Domestic Totem That Binds Us In Society.
Hecker Guthrie’s Response Is Multi Layered, Yet Somehow The Clarity In Its Execution Is So Clear
Ideas And Ideals Of What Encompasses Our Cultural, Historical, Technological.
Rigg Prize Winner The Table By Hecker Guthrie. Local Design & Interiors.
The Design Reinforces The Connection With The Audience And Our Own Notions Of Domesticity.
The Design Story Of ‘the Table’ By Hecker Guthrie Is A Story Of Us.
The Rigg Design Prize Is A Literal Vitrine, Comprising A Selection Of Ten Curated Design's.
Published 6 December, 2018
Photography  Shannon McGrath
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