Who knew what wonders one could accomplish with a mere 400 or so wooden slats? Brazilian Designer Mauricio Affonso, that’s who. The London-based Affonso is previously known for the sustainable/reclaimed/found piece he calls the POP Pendant Light but recently employed the aforementioned diminutive lengths of wood to create his Fan Table—an innovative, transformable piece that expands and contracts just like the Japanese “sensu” or the Chinese “shànzi.”

Fan Table. Designed by Mauricio Affonso.

Mauricio Affonso’s Fan Table Opens Eyes at Salone

Given the probable antecedent, there must be some sort of spiritual connection between Brazil and the Far East. Affonso’s elegant table makes use of the very same mechanics found in the simple folding fan, as it branches outward and forth from a simple square to an elongated rectangle, or from selfsame square into the beautifully arched silhouette of a circular table.

Constructed entirely of Birch, the Fan Table is an excellent example of minimal materials and maximal engineering. And while the visual pyrotechnics belong exclusively to the tabletop, the real trick is in the table’s base, which slides in and out in a telescopic manner to create the wiggle room needed for the top to fan out.

The Fan Table certainly has pronounced aesthetic appeal, as it captures the inherent hypnotic effect of the iconic folding fan, but the piece has got functional moxie too. Its easy transformation from small to large, from square to circle, makes it a great choice for small spaces, as it conserves floor space without sacrificing utility: “I wanted to move away from the table as a static object and create a self-transforming table that can spontaneously adapt itself to play a new role in the fabric of a situation.”

Via MocoLoco.

About the Designer: Lately known for his stunner of a pendant lamp called POP—in which he managed to link 100s of discarded aluminum soda tabs into an exquisite circular sphere—designer Mauricio Affonso has a yen for innovative expression and a great receptivity to the potentials of unorthodox materials. His latest creation, the lovely, transformable Fan Table, was on display at the recently concluded Milan Furniture Fair.