The Mistery table, designed by Enric Miralles and Benedetta Tagliabue in 1999, remained unbuilt until its recent discovery and production for the Perpetuum Mobile exhibition. Rediscovered in the form of old sketches in the couple’s personal archive, the design was reconstructed using a combination of 3D modeling and physical mock-ups to bring the concept to life for the first time.
Mistery is a highly flexible drawing and dining table, capable of transforming its scale and function. The tabletop unfolds in a zigzag mechanism, enabling it to contract into a compact desk for individual use or extend into a generous surface over four meters long capable of seating up to 16 people. This dynamic movement is likened to the action of a rower, embodying Miralles’ fascination with motion and transformation in design.
The table has been crafted in American maple, a wood chosen for its smooth hardness ideal for writing and drawing surfaces. Its precise folding mechanism and expandable form underscore both the technical ingenuity and poetic sensitivity that characterize EMBT’s work. The Mistery table exemplifies how furniture design in their studio blurs the lines between utility and sculpture, movement and stability.
