Craters in these tables by Canadian studio +tongtong hold different parts of a meal, meaning you can eat your dinner directly off the tabletop (+ movie).
John Tong, +tongtong founder, created removable trays that sit neatly in a metal frame with the idea that they can be replaced between each course for fast serving.
Larger depressions form plates for main portions, while the smaller deeper pockets can be filled with sauces or hold pieces of fruit. Used in a series at a dinner party, the dark grey trays form a series of contours akin to a lunar surface.
Three forms of the injection-moulded plastic serving platters have been designed so far, and different colours and materials could be added to the line if it goes into production.
The design studio has previously created clothes rails that appear to be two-dimensional lines on the wall.
Dezeen has also featured a range of edible furniture and a set of handmade bowls to match different flavours of Heinz baked beans.
See more tables on Dezeen, including one without any legs.
Photos are by Colin Faulkner. Video editing is by Jason Macfarlane.
Further details from +tongtong follow:
Curvaceous, shapely trays, with small dints, holes and vessels sculpted in concert with Matheson’s intended offerings, could be removed from the table base, allowing for quick platings between each sitting. “The title Mooncake isn’t necessarily an earthly one,” says designer John Tong. “But I like this idea that the trays have been seemingly carved by natural, otherworldly forces. The idea of edible landscapes is indeed an experience I was after.”
Tong intends the concept to be developed into a product line of injection moulded food grade plastic trays that range from simple tops with subtle impressions, to more complex versions with dips and groves composed to suite different meals and dining experiences. The trays remove easily from the streamlined metal base, allowing the server to present the entire meal at once and remove it quickly afterward. “It’s a serving platter,” says Tong. “The idea of table is blurred”.
The table is designed for both restaurant and residential environments and the intention is that it will come standard with three tops; additional materials and colours may be added to the product line in the future. “There is a thin line of convention that one can simply cross with the help of design,” says Tong. “To enjoy a more intimate experience, sharing a table, sharing a plate,- the true nature of a meal.” + tongtong is currently welcoming possible manufacturers.
Formely a founding principal of interior design firm 3rd Uncle Design, +tongtong principal John Tong (B. Architecture from the University of Toronto, 1992), is currently working on a diverse range of projects including his continued work on the Drake Hotel’s new Prince Edwards County off-shoot, Drake Devonshire Inn; a new project for the Delta Hotel in Waterloo, Ont; a Spanish concept restaurant in the St. Lawrence Market neighborhood; a performance running store in Toronto and several custom residential projects across Canada and the United States; a line of clothing racks called les Ailes Noires and other product designs are currently in development.