Having done sufficient product reviews to take note of such things, I’m increasingly intrigued by the evolution of the thematic resonances I’ve come across. What I mean by this is that the similarities among products (couched, in the early days of 3rings, in banalities such as “clean lines” or “curvaceous forms”) have taken a decidedly more interesting turn. Thus as a result, we’ve been able to link pieces many a piece to one another by way of these common themes.

Ufo Table. Designed by Ferruccio Laviani for Emmemobili.

Take for example the “skeletal” aspect of Quarry Table, Ghisa Bench, Cassina’s Cab Chair); the “crystalline” structure of Due Ether Chandelier, Zietta Clara’s Knobs and Pulls, The Venus Natural Chair, and the “honeycomb” framework of Rassadin Beehouse Lamp, Molo Softwall, and Sing Homes Honeycomb Panels. Well, here’s a new one to throw into the mix: Emmemobili’s Ufo Table by Ferruccio Laviani.

Admittedly, the extraterrestrial theme is hardly new in this forum (see last week’s Ant Lamp), but Laviani’s piece is unprecedented in its whole-hearted homage. Its inverted saucer top and cylindrical base create an aesthetic that’s vintage and contemporary at once, thus achieving the nifty trick of appealing to a wildly divergent crowd (geeky Trekkies and image-wary Hipsters immediately come to mind). The Ufo Table also has the space-age advantage of single-material construction—both top and base are made of shaped plywood–and base and underside are lacquered with the top finished in wenge, natural or tinted oak, or lacquer. The table also comes in the new Ufo Full, sporting top, underside, and base completely covered in wood veneer.

Emmemobili prides itself on its work with shaped wood and wood veneers: “Light, thin sheets of wood are coated with resins and glues and laid carefully in dyes which have been designed according to the shape we wish to achieve. Then comes the first stage of heating and pressing, so that the wood takes on the shape we want. A computer-controlled machine then works on these items, which are later finished by hand.” Add to this methodical process the alliance between Emmemobili and Laviani (the architect/designer was recently named artistic director), and you have an enviable combination of artful design, computer-engineered precision, and hands-on craftsmanship. No wonder the Ufo Table seems genuinely poised to take flight, in more ways than one.