SEGMENTED BASE TABLES

Additional Information

Herman Miller and Vitra make Eames Segmented Base Tables with round, square, or elliptical (“super ellipse”) tops in a wide range of sizes. Standard tables can seat four, ten, or 18 people. There is no limit to the size of an Eames Segmented Base Table, and they can be made to suit every need. Given the versatility of the Eames segmented base, it’s all the more remarkable how few parts are needed. The horizontal elements of the base are solid cast aluminum with hollow steel spreaders held in place by cast aluminum connectors. The height is provided by rolled steel tubes, which connect into cast aluminum four-blade “spiders” that support the tabletops. Each part offers a straightforward solution to the problem of table support. The secret to the table’s versatility is a uniquely fabricated, single connecting element that takes the place of glue and solder.

This unique Eames Office “connector” is an example of what Charles and Ray Eames had in mind when they wrote, “The connections, the connections, the connections; it will in the end be these details that provide service to the customers and give the product its life.” But the Eameses’ process involved more than quality alone; they wanted to deliver that quality for the lowest possible price.

In an interview with Ralph Caplan, Ray talked about an insight that she and Charles had when designing the Eames House in Pacific Palisades first and then the Herman Miller Showroom in West Hollywood. They were looking for ways to keep costs contained, and they learned that one of the most significant expenses involved in putting a steel structure together is the number of connections between steel elements. To mitigate this in the Eames House and Herman Miller Showroom, they increased the size of the steel trusses, and this reduced the number of connections they had to make.

The Eames Segmented Base Table is similarly economical in construction in that all elements of the base are held together by one connector. No other connecting material is needed, so there are no additional costs for time or labor. The money saved by this one device is passed along to the consumer in the form of lower prices. The table system is yet another manifestation of the Eames principle to provide “the best to the most for the least amount of money.”

The base for this design usually employs a three-part connector, but a four-part connector is used for single pedestal bases and bases with square configurations. Both unique versions are made to Eames Office specifications for the Eames segmented base system.