Carlo Scarpa & Hiroyuki Toyoda for Simon Gavina Large 'Gritti' Table 410cm

Carlo Scarpa and Hiroyuki Toyoda for Simon Gavina, 'Gritti' dining or conference table, reupholstered leather, chromed steel, brass, Italy, design 1973

The Gritti table was originally designed in 1973 by Carlo Scarpa. However, it never went in to production. After Scarpa’s death, the design was refined and finished by Hiroyki Toyoda in the early 1980s. This piece has a skeletal structure made up of cylindrical beams serving as its base. The top is newly reupholstered in black leather, suiting the table's clean design. This furniture piece's versatility is due to its substantial size of over 4 meters long, making it an optimal option for various functions, including serving as a conference table or dining table.

Carlo Scarpa was one of the most prominent modernist Italian architect and designer. Born in 1906 in Venice, he attended the Academy of fine Arts there, where he focused on architectural studies. After his graduation, he collaborated with architect Francesco Rinaldo. However, he also started to begin teaching architectural drawing at the Academy, a position he held until 1929. It was also during this period that his professional life as an architect and designer took off and he became known for his sensitivity to materiality and detailing. In 1927, he started to collaborate with master glass workers in Murano and he became creative director at Venini Glass works, where he worked from 1934 to 1947. After the second world war, Scarpa began to gain recognition internationally and gets more commissions to create great masterpieces. Overall, his work became influenced by architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright but also took inspiration from Japan. Unfortunately, he died after falling from a flight of concrete stairs in 1978. However, Scarpa’s influence remains today through his great designs.