Element
Element is an iconic table, an emblem of purity and poetry, perfectly embodying the design vision of Tokujin Yoshioka. Its central support, suspended between two horizontal planes, seems to defy gravity, evoking a balance poised between earth and sky, between past and future. The black cement finish enhances its sculptural strength, transforming its apparent lightness into a material and intense presence. A project of extraordinary engineering complexity, it embodies Desalto’s experience and mastery in metal craftsmanship, giving shape to an object where art and technique merge seamlessly.
With Element, the table becomes a sculptural gesture, an expression of perfect balance between art and engineering. Designed by Tokujin Yoshioka, it is an object born from a poetic vision: a suspended volume in which a single central support seems to defy gravity, ideally connecting earth and sky. Its essential and rigorous form becomes a symbol of harmony and suspension, capable of conveying both calm and strength. Every element is conceived to enhance the material depth of the finishes and the precision of its construction, reflecting Desalto’s continuous pursuit of beauty, technology, and pure emotion.
Element evolves while preserving its sculptural identity. Alongside the iconic version with a single central support, new interpretations take shape, expanding the project’s possibilities: a version with two intersecting legs, conceived to accommodate even more generous tops, and a single-base version with an elliptical top, introducing a renewed visual fluidity and a more dynamic perception of proportions. Two variations that embody the same philosophy of balance between lightness and stability, between technique and poetry, reaffirming Element as one of the highest expressions of Desalto’s aesthetic and structural research.
Element is a table with a strong architectural identity, the expression of perfect balance and the culmination of Desalto’s design and engineering expertise. Beyond its iconic form lies a work of complex and meticulous engineering, the result of years of mastery in metal craftsmanship. Every detail — invisible to the eye yet essential to the structure — reflects Desalto’s ability to transform technical precision into measured beauty, where balance and solidity coexist with a sense of absolute lightness.
In the version extending up to three meters, scale transforms the narrative: two intersecting legs create a striking interplay of forces and voids. The intersection is not merely a structural solution to support the large top, but a formal element that multiplies visual axes and establishes dynamic perspectives. The double-leg configuration generates an architectural rhythm — lines crossing and projecting into space — emphasizing monumentality without sacrificing elegance. The expansive top becomes a stage, while the legs act as sculptural counterpoints, making the tension between mass and suspension perceptible even at a generous scale.
The Element project combines a strong formal concept with targeted engineering solutions. The support is conceived as an axial structural body with an optimized section designed to transfer vertical loads and bending moments to the base; in the single-leg models, the inclined position of the parallelepiped has been engineered to counteract the torsional moments generated by the top and to keep lateral displacement within design tolerances. The two intersecting legs solution redistributes loads and reduces bending moments on the top, allowing for reduced thickness while preserving formal clarity. Load transfer occurs through optimized structural paths: localized reinforcements in areas subject to higher stress, welds executed according to qualified procedures, dimensional controls during production, and final load testing with safety factors compliant with industry standards. Element is the result of a deliberate balance between form and calculation — a sculptural idea translated into an engineered project that maintains perceptual lightness, aesthetic rigor, and functional reliability.
Product information
height
72 cm
measures
Ø 140 cm
Ø 160 cm
height
72 cm
measures
200 x 99 cm
240 x 99 cm
height
72 cm
measures
300 x 99 cm
height
72 cm
measures
148 x 148 cm
Born in 1967. He worked under Shiro Kuramata and Issey Miyake, and established his own studio, TOKUJIN YOSHIOKA INC. in 2000. His experimental and innovative creations along with the nature and the senses, which transcend the boundaries of art, design, and architecture, are highly evaluated in the world. He received numbers of international design awards such as "Mainichi Design Award 2001", "Cultural Affairs Section of Government of Japan, Encourage Prize 2006", "Design Miami Designer of the Year 2007", "Elle Deco International Design Awards Designer of the Year 2009", "TOKYO Design & Art ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDS Artist of the Year 2010. Some of his most important works are exhibited as a part of permanent collections in the world’s well-known museums such as Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, Centre National d’Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou in Paris, The Victoria and Albert Museum, Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum and Vitra Design Museum. Some pieces of “Water Block” are permanently exhibited with masterpieces of Monet, Cézanne and Renoir in the Impressionist Gallery at Musée d’Orsay, Paris.