​Markelius 01 – table by Sven Markelius

The Markelius table, that saw the light of day at the same time as Modernism became popular, was designed by the Swedish architect Sven Markelius (1889–1972) for his own villa in the Stockholm suburb of Nockeby. Built in 1930 it was one of the first private houses in Sweden to be designed according to the new ideals in architecture that Markelius was an advocate of. The house gained international attention and many of Markelius friends such as Alvar and Aino Aalto and Le Corbusier were guests there.

The round table served as a dining table and thanks to its placement in the house it came to be at the centre for conversations about the emerging Swedish welfare state as well as the flourishing international Modernism. The piece of furniture was of great personal importance to Markelius and accompanied him when he moved from Nockeby, first to the radical collective house that he designed in the city centre in 1935 and later to a villa in Kevinge, North of Stockholm, designed and built in 1945 where he would live until his death in 1972.

The table was never put into production in Markelius lifetime so it is not until now that others than the legendary architect’s family and friends have been given the opportunity to enjoy this unique piece of design. With its slender tubular steel frame, the Markelius table reveals its origins in theModern movement. Offecct Edition, release 2018, presents this emblematic piece of furniture with a table top in walnut veneer andstainless-steel joints thatmarks the position of the legs.

“This table has aged very well and looks just as striking in today’s latest signature buildings as it did in the villa it was designed for in 1930. It feels great to be able to launch this table which is a prime example of the modern movement, which is what Offeccts collection rests upon. I hope this table will act “host” for many creative meetings in the future”, says Kurt Tingdal, CEO of Offecct.

“This is a flawless table in every respect. The only thing that we have had to adjust is the type of wood used for the table top. The environment and sustainability were important aspects of Sven Markelius work, just as it is for Offecct, that is why we have exchanged ebenholtz, the popular choice of the time and replaced it with walnut veneer, says Anders Englund, Design Manager at Offecct.

Bio Sven Markelius

Sven Markelius (1889–1972) was one of the most influential Swedish architects of the 20th Century and played a crucial part in the introduction of Modernism in Sweden. His own villa in Nockeby (1930) was one of the first to be built according to the new ideals and it was also one of the first experiments with reinforced concrete in housing architecture in Sweden. Throughout a long career that would span six decades Markelius worked to advance architecture, increase housing standards and contribute to improve living conditions for all.As head of city planning in Stockholm Markelius wasresponsible for the realisation of the suburb Vällingby (1954) which gained international praise for being an entirely new model for suburban development. Sven Markelius was one of the internationally most recognized

Swedish architects of his time and was a member of the influential network CIAM (Congrès Internationaux d’Architecture Moderne) whose thoughts and ideals had a significant influence on 20th Century architecture and urban planning. As the only Scandinavian architect, Markelius was also a member of the committee of international architects responsible for the planning and design of the UN Headquarters in New York. Sven Markelius designed everything from large building complexes and expressive patterns for textiles to furniture that all inhabited the inventiveness and care for detail that he was widely known for. His achievements as an architect helped shape the image of Sweden as a role model for modern and progressive architecture and urban planning.