Scotland’s famous bridges inspire unique table

V&A Dundee has worked with Scott Jarvie, a Glasgow-based designer, to create a bespoke boardroom table inspired by Scottish engineering heritage.

The Suspension Table was designed to reference bridge engineering across Scotland, including world-famous bridges such as the suspended Forth Road Bridge and the contemporary cable-stayed Queensferry Crossing.

The commission is part of V&A Dundee’s support for designers and artists, which has included commissions from Ciara Phillips in the main hall and Maeve Redmond in the Scottish Design Galleries, as well as new commissions for the museum’s major exhibitions. Jarvie was appointed following an invitation for proposals from a range of Scottish designers.

The project, which included an accompanying cabinet, was funded by business leader and entrepreneur Tim Allan, the owner of Unicorn Property Group who was recently appointed as Chair of the Board of V&A Dundee.

The Suspension Table is five metres in length, with a solid Scottish Ash table top sourced from the Scottish Borders, and a base manufactured in Scotland from stainless steel. It comfortably seats 14 people in the boardroom of V&A Dundee, from international visitors to daily staff meetings.

Scott Jarvie, founder of Jarvie-Design, said: ‘I was thrilled to be commissioned to create a new major piece of furniture for V&A Dundee. The challenge was to create a design that was conceptually and aesthetically fitting for Scotland’s first design museum, as well as practical for use in a busy meeting room.

‘With every project I want to create something new, exciting and, in this case, technically challenging. Much of my work incorporates subtle design details that may, upon first glance, go unnoticed but which add to the overall richness of the design. In the instance, the design is not only an iconic form but also features many of these refining details.

The new table is assembled

‘Here it was about creating harmony between the cool meticulously fabricated stainless steel base and the warmth of the tactile Scottish Ash. It was an ambitious piece of work, and I’m delighted to have created an enduring fixture for V&A Dundee.’

Jarvie has previously worked with V&A Dundee on an exhibition of contemporary Scottish design at the 2016 London Design Festival, and his Dish Drainer designed for Lakeland is included in the museum’s Scottish Design Galleries.

Tim Allan said: ‘Scott Jarvie is a remarkable Scottish designer and I am thrilled to see such a bold and brilliant piece of design at the centre of V&A Dundee’s boardroom.

‘As Scotland’s first design museum, V&A Dundee welcomes every week visitors from communities across Dundee and from all over the world. Scott has given those visitors, and the museum’s staff, a very beautiful and practical table to meet around and to plan the museum’s future together.’

Jarvie has exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum (London), Salone Satellite (Milan), Noise Festival where he won Zaha Hadid’s Curator’s Choice, The Art & Technology Gallery (New York), and The Lighthouse (Glasgow) and been featured on television programmes in the USA, Italy and in the UK. His work is featured in books, magazines and publications globally.

Jarvie has worked with Thomas Heatherwick, the internationally acclaimed designer, Elder and Cannon, the award-winning Glasgow architects, and Jacki Parry, the renowned artist and sculptor. He is also Creative Director at the luxury furniture brand Delupo.

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