Perpetuum Mobile
Making
The original design of each piece of furniture has remained the same with just a few technical updates (such as new hinges and connections for some of the pieces), while the materials used have been updated. While the original pieces were made in other timbers, the reproductions have been manufactured using a selection of four underused American hardwood species including red oak, maple, cherry and tulipwood, chosen for their aesthetic, performance and environmental credentials.
INES TABLE
American red oak
The craftsmen at La Navarra said that the Ines Table was the most complex piece of furniture to manufacture in the exhibition: full of details with hidden parts and drawers that can be reached thanks to three holes cut into the work surface that act as handles. The hinge for the moving parts of the lid has been made specifically for the Ines-table. Its operation involves two continuous movements: extract and rotate.
LELUKAAPPI
American maple and cherry
In the process of reproducing Lelukaappi, the carpenters used American maple veneer inlaid with American cherry. The vertical curved shelves were manufactured by cold pressing layers of maple veneer on custom jigs to obtain the desired shape . The joints between the horizontal and the curved vertical pieces were carved by hand.
TRONCS
American red oak
Troncs is almost a revision of the classic picnic table that incorporates a wooden bench, but made from a wood boule and crossed legs. The planks, left with the natural waney edge, accentuate the mountain-like simile of the piece.
A simple mechanism allows for the position of legs to be changed, with the possibility of having a very low table, almost like a bench, or a table of conventional height.
ESTUDI
American red oak and cherry
The Estudi table has been reproduced in American cherry with red oak accents. The drawer unit sits on castor wheels and its front is made of vertically joint cherry veneers, achieving an admirable and uncommon aesthetic effect.
MARISA
American tulipwood
The Marisa bookshelf is formed by two components that pivot on hinges. Its structure is made of plywood lined in American tulipwood veneer skilfully matched at the edges, so that it appears to be a single piece of tulipwood.
MISTERY
American maple
During the research phase, a notebook with a detailed drawing of an unknown table was found. Named ‘Mistery’ table, this piece has been built for the first time at La Navarra by deciphering the instructions that Miralles left in his notes.
The tests carried out both in 3D and with mock up wooden elements have been fundamental to successfully manufacture Mistery. American maple has been chosen for its hardness, perfect for a drawing surface.
TROPICAL
American red oak
The movement that changes the heights is performed vertically by leaning on the table’s four legs, which act like the pillars of a drawbridge and are supported by a cross-joined frame. The reproduction has been made in American red oak with an oil finish.
DOLMEN
American cherry and tulipwood
The Dolmen table has a movable worktop, in the shape of a menhir, made up of eight boards of solid American cherry, arranged diagonally and assembled by joints that are visible on the edge. The top is attached to the lower part of the table by a cross-shaped frame made of American tulipwood. The lower part of the piece is made up of three legs, one of which has two pivoting arms that allow the table to be collapsed and take up less space. American cherry was used for the lid and drawers, chosen for its colour and fine grain. American tulipwood was chosen for the structural elements.
JAPONÈS
American red oak, tulipwood, maple and cherry
Six stools have been reproduced in American red oak, tulipwood, maple and cherry with an oil finish. The Japonès stool is a very simple piece of furniture that allows you to fully see how it is built, without hidden joints. It has a slot on the top making it easy to pick up and move and can be placed in a low or upright position.