Kyoto Table
Made by Poltrona Frau
Designed by Gianfranco Frattini
In the early 1970s, Gianfranco Frattini traveled to Kyoto with master cabinetmaker Pierluigi Ghianda. What they encountered in the city's artisan workshops was a construction philosophy where process and object are inseparable, where nothing is concealed and nothing ornamental without reason.
The Kyoto table is that idea made physical. Its gridded structure in solid beech is finished in a black open-pore varnish, faithful to Frattini's original specification. The leg tops are lacquered in a vivid red, a quiet reference to Japanese visual culture that preserves the graphic tension of legs inserted precisely into a grid.
Reissued by Poltrona Frau with close fidelity to the original project, Kyoto carries the architectural presence of a piece conceived at the intersection of Italian craft and Japanese sensibility. Form follows method. Method is the form.
Made to order by Poltrona Frau, tailored to you.
Get customization options, swatch samples and pricing for your project.
Pairs Well With
Kyoto Table
Frequently Asked Questions
Who designed the Kyoto table and what inspired it?
Gianfranco Frattini designed the Kyoto table in the early 1970s following a trip to Japan with master cabinetmaker Pierluigi Ghianda. The design draws directly from the artisan workshop culture of Kyoto, where construction logic and aesthetic form are treated as one.
What materials is the Kyoto table made from?
The table is crafted in solid beech wood with a black open-pore varnish, consistent with Frattini's original design. The leg tops are finished in a lacquered red, referencing the visual language of Japanese craft traditions.
Is the Kyoto table a reissue or a contemporary design?
It is a faithful reissue by Poltrona Frau, produced with close respect for Frattini's original early-1970s project, including its materials and proportions.
Who was Gianfranco Frattini?
Gianfranco Frattini (1926-2004) was a Milanese architect and designer whose work spanned furniture, lighting, and interiors. He collaborated with leading Italian manufacturers including Cassina, Artemide, and Poltrona Frau, and was recognized for designs that balance structural rigor with humanist warmth.
What role did Pierluigi Ghianda play in the Kyoto table's development?
Pierluigi Ghianda, widely regarded as one of the greatest Italian cabinetmakers of the twentieth century, accompanied Frattini on the Kyoto journey. His deep knowledge of wood and joinery directly shaped the table's structural approach, where the construction logic becomes the visual identity of the piece.
