It is not surprising that the Swiss designer, Max Bill, who wrote a book in 1949 called “Mathematical thinking in the art of our times”, (La Pensée mathématique dans l’art de notre temps), would design a three legged table like this. Triangulation and curved surfaces are a fundamental part of his style. The Dreirundtisch coffee table is made of wood with a linoleum table-top and is currently available at the brilliantly named  Kiss the Design gallery, in Lausanne. An amazing place for post war design.

I first noticed this table because two of the hip young things from Youcaïdi were dancing beside it, at the Maison&Objet trade fair in Paris. This fun young interior design team from Switzerland have really expressed themselves in this table.

It was first designed as a gift for a man who has a workshop in the same industrial park as them in Fribourg . He used to lend them his laser cutting machine that he seldomly used. To thank him they made him the first example of the ex table.

All the parts are made up of stratified laser cut birch.You can feel the quality and precision when you move your hands over it. The legs come through the table top and make an X pattern on the surface (hence the name) and there are many faceted edges. Frankly this is quite a fantastic present.