The Opus is a symbolic product with uniquely designed legs. Tables are always designed to fit chairs
for ease of use with various designs even with distinct characteristics. We also take the relationship
between a table and chairs into consideration so that many chairs can be set from various angles.
The distinct dogleg shape of the legs is cut from a single tree. Using a joining method called
agodashi, the parts that join at the center are given a sense of oneness and strength. The legs are
placed on the inside at an angle, not for design purposes but to prevent the knees from hitting
when people sit anywhere at the table. Also, most tables have a sideboard in the back to connect
the tabletop to legs and to prevent the tabletop from warping. In contrast, the Opus has more space
under the tabletop because the legs and tabletop are secured using special joint hardware instead
of a sideboard. The legs are connected at the center and an elliptical crosspiece is used to connect
the middle of the table to both legs. These features distribute the added weight throughout so
that the table can bear a force applied from above. Because we thought connecting elliptical legs
and crosspieces naturally would be important, the challenge was to determine the design and the
thickness of the wood to retain strength.
The Opus comes in three types: rectangle, square, and round types. The round table has parts
to connect the four legs in the middle, which are made from a single tree. The curved wooden
connecting parts give increased strength to these legs.