ORNAMENTUM

For this design assignment, we were tasked with designing a dining table for two people, inspired by either an idol or an anti-idol. As a starting point, we created an extensive mood board consisting of keywords, images, and atmospheric references. Through this visual and conceptual analysis, a central concept emerged that subsequently guided the entire design process. Every design decision, from form and material to construction and user experience, had to support and reflect this concept. In addition, the table was required not only to be visually compelling, but also to meet ergonomic, functional, and structural requirements. The final design was built at full scale and later used during a communal dinner alongside all other tables.

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For my design, I chose Tim Burton as my idol. His distinctive visual language, in which the playful and the unsettling continuously coexist, formed the foundation of my concept. Burton creates worlds that feel both familiar and absurd at the same time, and it was precisely this tension that I wanted to translate into a functional object.

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This led to the creation of ORNAMENTUM: a table that is not immediately perceived as a table, but rather as a sculptural enigma. The design appears to challenge logic. It looks fragile, unstable, and almost as if it is tipping or wobbling, while in reality it remains structurally sound and fully functional. As a result, the user experiences a sense of uncertainty. How should this object be used? Is it art, or is it functional? Or does it simply play with our expectations of what a table is supposed to be?

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The serene and minimalist aesthetic deliberately contrasts with the sense of discomfort the object evokes. Much like Tim Burton’s films, ORNAMENTUM balances between beauty and estrangement, elegance and absurdity. The design encourages users to question what they normally take for granted and to reconsider the relationship between form and function.

ORNAMENTUM is therefore more than a dining table; it is an experience, a conversation piece, and a sculptural object that explores the boundary between design and art.