Ian Coffee Table

During ABERTO3, held at the Tomie Ohtake House-Studio and the Chu Ming House, ETEL unveiled new pieces by Alan Chu, son of Chu Ming.

This marked the first time the architect designed furniture pieces not tied to a specific architectural space. Often, in the practice of architecture, professionals are driven to design furniture and objects in response to spatial needs. On this singular occasion, in a gesture of personal experimentation, Alan Chu began developing design pieces independent of any architectural context.

His work primarily engages with emotion and sensation, with rationality entering only as a secondary layer. The Ian Central Table emerged within this framework, shaped by an emotional logic that plays with subtraction and subversion. Alan operates in the moment before thought, in what he refers to as a “sensory effect.”

Each element of the Ian Central Table serves a distinct function: some can be used as planters or niches, and one is topped with a metallic sphere that introduces a curious sense of visual dissonance. Made of stainless steel, the table is a play of subtraction, contrast, and sensory surprise, almost like a cartoon brought into material form.