Design Milk:

Our relation started with Apple selecting our Essenza table, designed by my father Willem van Ast. While working on several customized versions of the Essenza they asked us to try something we’d never attempted before in the Pod Island table.

At that time all of us assumed the table top would be built out of 2 or 3 segments, in order to deal with the 18-foot length. It soon became clear this was a job and a project unlike anything we’d seen.

During a meeting to inspect the first prototype together with Apple and Foster+Partners, the question was raised: “but what if it was made out of a single piece? Can you achieve it?” They challenged us to push the boundaries of our craft, we got excited ourselves as well and started to investigate how to overcome the limitations inherent to the way we produce tables—not just here at Arco but for the entire furniture industry

I don’t know if it’s because of our slightly obsessive fixation on Apple or whether it’s because Apple is known for making really interesting decisions but I can guarantee, this is the first time I’ve ever read an article about table design.