2008 Recession
The financial crisis of 2008 shook the entire country on all social levels. People lost their jobs, companies went bankrupt and an enormous number of factories closed their doors. Rubí, a large town in the Western Valles region with one of the largest industrial estates in the country, was severely hit by the catastrophic effects of the crisis. Industrial estates were no longer busy places but more like a cemetery of warehouses and factories which in turn were ransacked and decorated with graffities or simply became skeletons of a prosperous past which attracted curious visitors.
The table-top measured 280cms long by 110cms wide with a thickness of 5cms which, without any doubt, gives one the idea for long it had been a work table. It was such a large piece of natural wood. It was covered with pen marks and graffiti and names and dates that went back to the 1970s. It was essential to retain these marks to reflect the history of the table. But it was also necessary to provide it with legs high enough so it could be used as a dining table.
The task was to design legs from square metal tubing 40 x 40 mm. The aim was to keep the design of the legs so as to give it an air of lightness, despite the top being so heavy that it took four persons to lift. Finally, a corrosion process to rust the metal structure was applied and gave it a reddish-brown tone. The idea was to give the materials an impression of quality while at the same time show that it could continue to be used as a table while portraying an excellent aesthetic value, which is critical of the ephemeral value of today’s furniture.
The task was to design legs from square metal tubing 40 x 40 mm. The aim was to keep the design of the legs so as to give it an air of lightness, despite the top being so heavy that it took four persons to lift. Finally, a corrosion process to rust the metal structure was applied and gave it a reddish-brown tone. The idea was to give the materials an impression of quality while at the same time show that it could continue to be used as a table while portraying an excellent aesthetic value, which is critical of the ephemeral value of today’s furniture.
