Folded Stainless Steel Table is a minimalist table created by Rotterdam-based designer Bram Schlangen. The design’s genesis lies in Schlangen’s innovative fabrication approach: two identical 4mm stainless steel plates undergo a carefully orchestrated series of cuts and folds. Each bend maintains a consistent radius, creating a rhythmic visual language that belies the technical complexity of working with such substantial metallic sheets. “The folding process requires extreme precision,” Schlangen notes. “A fraction of a millimeter’s difference can compromise the entire structure.”

This work connects to both Modernist and contemporary design trajectories. The material choice and geometric abstraction echo the Bauhaus metal workshop’s experiments, particularly Marcel Breuer’s early tubular steel furniture. Yet Schlangen’s approach feels thoroughly contemporary, engaging with digital fabrication techniques while celebrating traditional metalworking craft.

The table’s reflective surfaces create an ever-shifting dialogue with its environment, recalling Donald Judd’s explorations of light and space through polished metals. This interactive quality transforms what could be an austere industrial object into something more dynamic and alive. As light plays across the folded planes, the piece seems to dematerialize at certain angles while asserting its solid presence at others.

The design represents a significant technical achievement in metal fabrication. Traditional stainless steel furniture typically relies on welded joints or mechanical fasteners. Here, Schlangen eliminates these conventional connections through precise folding, creating a seamless structure that appears to defy its material nature. This approach not only enhances aesthetic purity but also demonstrates new possibilities for sustainable furniture production through reduced material waste and simplified assembly.