"Stone" and "light" are words not often used in the same breath but at WallGoldfinger they have achieved a new affinity. W/G is determined to defy Sir Isaac Newton, gravity, and several other supposedly immutable laws of science through the introduction of its featherweight stone table tops. Using a combination of stone veneer (almost any marble or granite can be used) and a proprietary honeycomb core, panels can be produced that weigh ⅓ as much as a typical ¾"-thick stone slab or about 4 pounds versus 12 pounds per square foot. The panels can be inset into frames or, as seen in the accompanying photographs, have wraparound self edges to create the illusion of a thick slab.

The project pictured, a Washington law firm refurbishment, has eleven 5'–6" square tables which can be used individually or can be linked together to form conference tables of different sizes. The units can be used for everything from individual four seat dining tables to three or four module conference tables to a full blown sixty-foot boardroom table. To facilitate reconfiguring, the tops are mounted on bases with casters and can also be tilted, as shown, to allow passage through standard width conference room doors.

For maximum utility, each table is fitted with a power and data fixture box, concealed beneath a brushed stainless steel hatch. When the top is in the "up" position, the fixture box remains in the base. Quick disconnect wiring at the floor core and between tables allows for rapid turn around in this heavily used multi-purpose conference room. The transformation from individual "unwired" dining tables to a fully connected formal boardroom table can be accomplished in minutes.

A simply brilliant idea from Gensler DC, aided and abetted by our inventive Washington rep, Paul Buchbinder.