Gae Aulenti Wheeled Table

The Gae Aulenti Rolling Table, designed in 1980 for FontanaArte, originated from the idea of transforming a simple industrial cart—used for transporting glass at the company’s headquarters—into an innovative designer piece. The inspiration came from directly observing a common everyday tool, reimagined without preliminary sketches: in the original design, the cart’s wooden top was replaced by a thick 15 mm beveled float glass sheet, a symbol of FontanaArte’s manufacturing tradition, while the industrial wheels with black-painted metal forks became not just functional, but striking visual elements. Swapping a single component completely changed the object’s nature, redefining its purpose and making the rolling table an iconic example of intuitive and experimental design. Minimalist and contemporary, it intentionally inserts an industrial feature into the home, creating a visual contrast that highlights its modern style. This must-have designer table has been selected by MoMA in New York and is part of the permanent collections at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, confirming its status as a 20th-century design masterpiece.