Charles Sandford

Ian Potter Southbank Centre, Melbourne.

John Wardle Architects is renowned for impeccable detailing and its Ian Potter Southbank Centre is no exception. One part of that was the fabrication of six Victorian ash study tables, which were custom-designed for the project. We were very pleased to help bring these designs to built reality, as they represent further exploration of a design we had previously fabricated for the architects’ own boardroom.

Custom timber table at Ian Potter Southbank Centre

The finely crafted tabletop appears to float above the tapered legs.

The biggest challenge in the process was to marry the uniquely tapered legs with the winged tabletop, as the legs had to meet the top at an angle, so that the work surface would appear to float. And of course, this had to be achieved while producing tables that would not only be robust enough for the required purpose but, as with the rest of the building, would stand the test of time.

After some refinement of the design, we were able to achieve the desired effect. The tables are now in place within the building. And who knows, maybe right now, someone is sitting at one, noting down the opening strains of Australia’s next great piece of classical music!

Photographed by Trevor Mein.