Jordi Vilanova

JORDI VILANOVA (Barcelona, 1925-1998).
Extending coffee table, ca.1970.
Provenance: Great mansion of Barcelona. Acquired in Jordi Vilanova's studio in 1970.
Walnut wood top.
Walnut veneer legs.
Exhibits wear consistent with age and use.
Measurements: 76 x 170 x 120 cm. + 245 cm. extended.

This model of extendable dining table was designed in the seventies by Jordi Vilanova, according to the criteria of simplicity and austerity characteristic of the Barcelona interior designer. The table top allows for different measurements, as it incorporates an extension on one of the sides, as well as two wings flanking the central body. Thus, it is a butterfly folding table that incorporates a third piece to accommodate eight or ten diners. The tabletops are solid wood and the legs are veneered walnut. The legs are tripod-shaped, with sheathed feet protected by metal sheets that contribute to the piece's embellishment.

Catalan interior designer and cabinetmaker, Jordi Vilanova enrolled in 1939 at the Escuela de Trabajo y Oficios Artísticos de la Lonja. He completed his training in the workshop of Busquets, and between 1940 and 1953 he collaborated in the studio of Lluís Gili. Jordi Vilanova was founder and promoter of the Catalan art magazine "Questions d'Art" (1967-74). In 1974 he opened premises with a permanent exhibition of furniture and upholstery of his own design, forming part of the Official College of Interior Decorators and Designers of Barcelona and the SAD. His modern furniture and his way of resolving spaces were initially aimed at a large public of limited economic resources and, consequently, homes with less living space. However, this great majority did not understand his proposal. Instead, it was the Catalan bourgeoisie, eager to break with outdated stylistic canons, who embraced his work. His specialty was furniture for children, such as the Delta stool, which won the Delta de Plata Prize awarded by the ADI/FAD in 1964. He held exhibitions of his work in Scandinavia. Among his most representative designs are the Tiracord and Billar chairs (1961), the Montseny MP bunk bed (1961), the Tartera (1966) and Petit (1978) rocking chairs and the Z magazine rack (1987) designed together with his son Pau Vilanova Vila-Abadal. It is currently represented in the Design Museum of Barcelona.