Image source: Molteni&C — LessLess
© Molteni&C and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research.
LessLess
Nouvel's 1994 aluminium tables made for the Fondation Cartier, rectangular and square, painted.
2300 × 720 × 1000 mm
1994
Official product information
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Description
Overview
LessLess is a range of rectangular and square tables by Jean Nouvel, created in 1994 for the Fondation Cartier in Paris. The page says the ultra-thin horizontal surface appears almost weightless while its strength is hidden in a play of corners and folds. The tables are made entirely of aluminium and painted.
Image source: Molteni&C — LessLess · © Molteni&C and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research. · View official product page ↗ · Image use & copyright policy
Construction
Each leg is an extruded aluminium corner element, painted, on nylon feet. The top is a reinforced box-section aluminium sheet with wedges of folded and ribbed sheet, joined with epoxy glue and painted in the Molteni colours.
Specifications
- TLA/10, table: 230 cm wide, 100 cm deep, 72 cm on the vertical dimension line (not labelled on the drawing)
Story
Made for the Fondation Cartier
The page and the datasheet both say LessLess was originally created for the Fondation Cartier in Paris; the page gives the year as 1994. The sheet adds that the tables stand out for intrinsic elegance and light lines in every environment.
Corners and folds
The datasheet says the strength of the table lies in a play on corners and folds, and that the very thin external outline of the top gets its stiffness from bending the aluminium sheet along inclined planes. The page says Nouvel achieves a profile that is delicate in appearance and robust in structure.
