Steel U Bartafel by Joey van Beek is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 A' Design Award in IJzer in Beeldende Kunst en Kunstinstallatie Ontwerp Competition Category.

IJzerBeeldende Kunst· 2022

Steel U Bartafel

by Joey van Beek

Client: Industrial Office

A' Design Award in IJzer Winner in Beeldende Kunst Category

20,332
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #137000

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Steel U Bartafel

Steel U, een ontwerp dat is gebaseerd op het verleden, gemaakt in het heden en is gemaakt met de bedoeling de toekomst te inspireren. Dit resulteerde in een combinatie van een hergebruikt stalen tafelblad dat wordt ondersteund door betonnen poten die zijn vernietigd door fysieke emoties. Zo wordt het ontwerp letterlijk onderdeel van de persoon die het beton vernietigt. De combinatie gaf tijdens het proces fysieke en mentale uitdagingen, maar resulteerde uiteindelijk in een ontwerp dat voldoening gaf.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award in IJzer

Steel U Bartafel is winnaar van de A' Design Award in IJzer, een prestigieuze erkenning die wordt toegekend aan goede ontwerpen die voldoen aan de professionele en industriële eisen die worden verwacht van goed ontworpen creaties. Winnaars in IJzer tonen grote vaardigheid, hoge specialisatie, deskundig inzicht en het creatieve vermogen van hun makers. Steel U Bartafel wordt verwacht een hooggewaardeerde, bewonderde en gekoesterde creatie te zijn die praktisch en innovatief is. Dit ontwerp dat de A' Design Award in IJzer heeft gewonnen, integreert de beste praktijken uit de sector en heeft bekwame technische kenmerken die verbonden zijn met knowhow en talent. Steel U Bartafel wordt gerespecteerd om zijn grondigheid en is ontworpen om verbeteringen van de levenskwaliteit te bieden die helpen de wereld een betere plek te maken.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Steel U, is a combination of reusing emotion and scrap metal. The tabletop is made from 70mm solid reused steel which is supported by two concrete blocks. These are connected by reinforcement steel which is made into shape by forging. The shape of the block is made by the person who owns the table. The way this is done; is by pouring first a smooth concrete block in a mold, which then will destroyed by the owner with a sledgehammer and jack hammer.
Dimensions & Packaging: Width 3220mm x Depth 650mm x Height 1120mm. Weight 988kg. Tabletop is S355 steel displayed under 10mm hardened glass. Legs are regular concrete with an inner steel shell to create an air chamber for reducing weight. Connection rods are reinforcement steel.
Tags: Steel U, Thoughts, Emotion, Steel, Concrete, Forged, Industrial Office
Production Technology: The tabletop is made from 70mm S355 steel which was used for producing machine parts. The shapes are made by the oxygen cutting process and when no more parts could come from the plate, it became scrap metal. This was outside, which gave after 2 years in the rain and sun the current look. The reinforcement steel rods where then first forged in an arch and then welded to the tabletop. After making a steel mold, the reinforcement steel was place in the mold and then covered in regular concrete.
Design Challenge: The hardest part was to make the concrete legs, which had to look like demolition but had to show the emotion of the owner. So I called help from my best friend, who is my father, because he had built his own house. I explained the look and strength that I wanted to have and he knew right away what was needed and how to execute. This way he thought and showed me what I needed to know so I could make the second leg myself with him as my mentor by my side checking.
Research: The first research I did, was to check if I could find on the internet a furniture design that ,was or looked like it, came from a demolition. After not finding it, I started with the question on how to make the process an experience. My mind went from concrete, to create, to sculpting, to sculpture, to how to sculpt, to thoughts, to experiencing and then to emotion. This resulted in the method of the owner using emotions physically to destroying the legs first to then create.
Inspiration: At the company which I have with my father to build conveyors, I wanted to create an office that was not about functionality, but about productivity. Inspired by my love for industrial designs I noticed the tabletop between the scrap metal, and wanted to use it because that is what you see when standing behind it. The legs got inspiration from demolition. But I wanted to put literally my emotions in to the concrete base, so I came up with the concept of pouring it first and then destroying it.
Project Duration: The idea started on July 2020 in Ede, The Netherlands at my home. But because the tabletop did not yet have the right appearance I needed to wait. When it did have the appearance, it was January 2022. The legs were then made and finished on 13 February 2022 in Ede, The Netherlands at my workshop.
Operation Flow: The tabletop is made from scrap metal, so this way it cannot be replicated because steel and the way it is handled during production is never the same. Then the reinforcement steel to support it is there to make it look as if the concrete legs came out of a demolition. The concrete shape is not just for the demolition look, but also to make the table show the emotion of the owner. The owner will have thoughts when destroying the legs and those thought at that moment will be visible to them.