Attributed to Gae Aulenti

Attributed to GAE AULENTI (Palazzolo dello Stella, Italy, 1927 – Milan, 2012).
“Tavolo con Ruote” coffee table. Italy, ca. 1980s.
Glass, wood, and lacquered metal.
In good condition. Slight scratches on the tabletop.
Measurements: 31 x 90 x 90 cm.

Coffee table attributed to Gae Aulenti. The structure combines vertical lacquered metal supports with perforated wooden discs, creating a visual interplay of transparency, volume, and balance. The circular wheels, in addition to lending the piece conceptual mobility, function as a graphic and sculptural element, very much in keeping with Aulenti’s experimental Italian design.

Notable hallmarks include the lightness of the glass and the almost playful expressiveness of the base, where technical elements become an essential part of the formal language. The piece reflects an approach to furniture design closely aligned with architecture: visible structure, constructive clarity, and a strong ability to organize space without losing its decorative appeal.

Gae Aulenti was one of the most prominent figures in 20th-century Italian design and architecture. Trained at the Polytechnic University of Milan, she had a distinguished career as an architect, designer, set designer, and creator of furniture and lighting. Among her most celebrated projects is the transformation of the former Gare d’Orsay into the Musée d’Orsay in Paris; she also worked on museum spaces such as the Centre Pompidou and the Palazzo Grassi.