Hannes Peer's new table for Baxter overlaps different architectural styles

Originally from South Tyrol, young architect Hannes Peer worked with Rem Koolhaas in Rotterdam and Zvi Hecker in Berlin before turning to residential design and opening his own studio in Milan in 2009. Since then he has gone from strength to strength, relishing in the challenge of remodelling historic buildings and furnishing them mostly with his custom-made furniture.

Mixing traditional and contemporary influences, his eclectic style overlaps different architectural styles to ‘create a dialogue between past and present’, while his visual curiosity for ‘imperfections, nostalgic utopia and future archaeology’ has given him a large following on social media. No wonder Baxter – a company known for its collaboration with the likes of Paola Navone, Christophe Delcourt and Studiopepe – has tapped this bright young talent, commissioned him to design this new dining table, presented at Salone del Mobile 2024.

The ‘Loom’ table stands out thanks to its unique lacquered rosewood base, a sequence of architectural volumes stacked on adjustable metallic legs that gracefully rises to support the glass tabletop. The intricate base creates a dance of light and shadow, with the tabletop serving as both a filter and enhancer.

The design pays homage to ‘the fusion of material, form, and function characteristic of Brazilian midcentury design’, and simultaneously ‘draws inspiration from American kinetic art, delving into visual perception and movement to captivate the observer's imagination.’

The complex wooden base also recalls the jaw-dropping designs of Italian polymath Carlo Mollino, a great influence on Peer. They too combined glass tops with eccentric wooden bases in the shape of arabesques or vertebrae.

Baxter Cinema, Largo Augusto 1, Milan

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