Alanda 18 coffee table by Paolo Piva for B&B Italia

The form A glass-topped table with an open geometric base made from steel rods in a zigzag pattern. There are square and rectangular versions, the latter shown here.

What makes it special An instant classic, the Alanda was designed by AustrianItalian designer and regular B&B Italia contributor Paolo Piva in 1981. Piva was born in Veneto in north-eastern Italy and studied architecture under the great Carlo Scarpa at IUAV (Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia) in Venice. From the 1970s onwards, Piva designed products for various well-known European brands, such as De Sede, Poliform, Team 7, Thonet and Wittmann, but his biggest success was with the Alanda coffee table and, to a lesser extent, the Alanda sofa (which was released the year before, in 1980, by B&B Italia and featured in the movie Scarface. In stark contrast to the colourful and highly patterned works of the Memphis movement, Piva’s design takes inverted pyramids (four in the small version and six in the large version) fashioned from steel rods to create a coffee table that appears to float magically above the floor. With its delicate framework only touching the ground at the apex of the pyramids, the Alanda coffee table provides a large surface for books, drinks and objet d’art while keeping the space between sofa and armchairs visually light. From 2012 to 2013, Piva, who by this time lived and taught in Vienna, once again began designing for B&B Italia, releasing the Athos and Area tables and the Andy sofa. He died in 2017 and the Alanda was relaunched in 2018 in memory of his contribution to B&B Italia.

Expect to pay From $3085 for the square design, $4620 for the rectangular style. Buy from Space; (02) 8339 7588 or spacefurniture.com.au