Boiacca Square table - 140 x 140 cm / Concrete by Kristalia Grey

“Imperfection is beauty”, said Marilyn Monroe one day, perhaps unaware –or perhaps not- of reintroducing a philosophical concept that spans centuries and distances: the Japanese concept of “wabi-sabi”. The ineffable beauty of humble, modest and slightly irregular things, which makes them unique. In modern architecture, visible cement, with its rough surface, becomes a living material, the protagonist of new aesthetic appeal, which is both traditional and industrial. The Boiacca table, designed by Luca Pevere and Paolo Lucidi, amazes and fascinates when you first see it due to its cement, a very unusual material for furnishings, and to its visibly slim nature and the audacity with which the slight imperfections of this raw material are highlighted. Under the top, it has an identification number, the signature of a unique personality, just as movie stars left their footprints on the pavement of Hollywood Boulevard (1). Moreover, Boiacca arises from a series of studies and prototypes intended to obtain a table that is not too heavy and easily moved even by two people, despite being made of cement. This was achieved by inserting a metal core in the legs and creating a solid but quite slim top (13 mm). To understand the magnitude of the process used to make it lighter in terms of materials and less formal, just consider that the legs of the first prototype weighed 10 kg and had a slightly stiffer and awkward shape, whereas the legs of the final version weigh about 4,5 kg, and have graceful fluid plasticity. The cement used for this design project involves a special formula. The table has been treated with a transparent finish that gives its surface tactile appeal and makes it resistant to water. Boiacca is a unique design project. With its slightly uneven nature, the raw material used makes each table different from any other: this feature is highlighted by the number that distinguishes each product.