Palette Kafe Mahaia by Rita Kettaneh is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 Burdinazko Saria A' Design Award in Altzari Diseinua Competition Category.

BurdinaAltzariak· 2020

Palette Kafe Mahaia

by Rita Kettaneh

Client: KRAY Studio

Burdinazko Saria A' Design Award Winner in Altzariak Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Colors

The Design

About Palette Kafe Mahaia

Palette koloreak nahasteko diseinatutako mahai modularra da. Diseinuak Josef Albers-en Homage to the Square seriean du inspirazioa, eta karratu habiaratuak hiru dimentsioko espaziora eramaten ditu. Mahai-gainaldeetako bakoitzak bi metrakrilato-xafla ditu, elkarren gainean jarrita kolore-nahasketak sortzeko. Goiko geruza mahai batetik bestera irristatuz, konbinazio berri bat lortzen da. Goiko atala altzairu herdoilgaitzezko oinarrian ainguratzen da, eta horrela mahai bakoitza unitate bakar gisa mugi daiteke. Hainbat mahai elkarren ondoan antola daitezke, azalera handiagoa osatzeko.

The Recognition

About the Burdinazko Saria A' Design Award

Palette Kafe Mahaia Burdinazko Saria A' Design Award irabazlea da, ondo diseinatutako sorkuntzetatik espero diren eskakizun profesional eta industrialak betetzen dituzten diseinu onei ematen zaien aitorpen prestijiotsua. Burdin-mailako irabazleek beren sortzaileen trebetasun handia, espezializazio handia, adituen ulermena eta sormen-gaitasuna erakusten dituzte. Palette Kafe Mahaia oso estimatua, miretsia eta maitea den sorkuntza izatea espero da, praktikoa eta berritzailea dena. Burdinazko Saria A' Design Award irabazi duen diseinu honek sektoreko praktika onenak integratzen ditu eta know-how-ari eta talentuari lotutako ezaugarri tekniko gaituak ditu. Palette Kafe Mahaia zehaztasunagatik errespetatua den lana da, eta mundua leku hobea egiten laguntzen duten bizi-kalitatearen hobekuntzak eskaintzeko diseinatua dagoena.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The Palette is a table for mixing colors inspired by Josef Albers' "Homage to the Square". It invites the users to engage in color experiments to suit their interior and state of mind. In simple sliding motions, the top layers are interchanged among tables like Albers' "platters to serve color" and the colors are mixed through overlapping sheets. The Palette is a coffee table that is modular and dynamic: multiple tables may be arranged side by side in one's layout of choice.
Dimensions & Packaging: Width x Depth x Height: 500 mm x 500 mm x 435 mm
Weight: 13.6 Kg
Tags: palette, palette table, coffee table, rita kettaneh, kray studio, josef albers, hommage to the square, geometric table, colorful coffee table, color mix table
Production Technology: The top section of the table is made up of steel sheets that are CNC laser-cut and bent with a press break. Welding is used to assemble the parts. The base is made up of stainless steel and is produced through a similar process. The top is powder-coated and includes two acrylic sheets, while the base has a brushed finish.
Design Challenge: The design of the base had to embody the concept of the square while complementing the top's planar form and silhouette. Multiple designs were assessed through cardboard mockups and 3D modeling software.
Moreover, experiments were done to identify the best performing mechanisms. In terms of locking the top to the base, bolts provided smoother locking and unlocking than rods. As to the sliding mechanism, it was reduced to sliding bars so the top sheet is easy to carry and slide into place.
Research: The color experiments were carried out in three stages: the first developed color schemes through overlapping sequences of acrylic samples. Next, a constraint was added which is that the scheme would be made up of three pairs of overlapping samples to correspond to three tables made up of two layers each. Thirdly, the color mixes had to go into Albers' configuration. Layers of foam core and acrylic samples were used to model the nested squares and colored paper was added to finetune the colors.
Inspiration: This design was inspired by the works of the Bauhaus icon Josef Albers, namely his "Homage to the Square" where nested squares demonstrate how color interacts. The Palette deconstructs the squares into three dimensional space while preserving the play on transparency. It encourages users to create different moods by participating in color experiments as Albers advocated. Moreover, Palette answers a need to offer users the flexibility to tailor and refresh their space based on their preferences.
Project Duration: The project started in December 2018 in Kornet Chehwan, Lebanon and was completed a year and three months later in Mazraat Yachouh, Lebanon in February 2020 when the final prototype was produced.
Operation Flow: The user can experiment with colors by sliding the top layer off a table and unto another where the overlapping sheets result in a new color mix.
The entire top section of the table locks into the base to facilitate moving the table around as a single unit. This is done by fitting the pins of the top into their respective holes in the base and then sliding the top section sideways until the pins reach their stops and the top locks into place. The reverse motion is done to unlock the two parts.