The Whorl Console is an inventive and groundbreaking console table made from Concrete Canvas, a patented concrete-impregnated fabric rarely used in furniture design.
Concrete Canvas is a new material that allows concrete to be used in radically innovative ways. The flexible, concrete impregnated fabric hardens on hydration to form a thin, durable, waterproof and fire-resistant concrete layer. It has been used to make rapidly deployable shelters, particularly in disaster-relief situations, as well as for erosion control and ditch lining. It reduces the environmental impact of concrete applications by up to 95%.
The Whorl Console is part of the Concrete Canvas Collection, which includes the Whorl Coffee Table, Enso Table, and Todos Table.
The idea behind the Whorl Console was to make a handcrafted piece that has presence as both sculpture and as functional furniture. The materials unique structural properties inspired the expression of a lyrical and fluid form that seemingly defies gravity, in contrast to the dense and heavy associations that we have with concrete.
The challenge in the design and construction of this table was to stretch the tensile strength of the material to its limits for aesthetic beauty and interest. At the same time, the piece needs to maintain its structural integrity as a utilitarian object intended for everyday use.
New casting and forming techniques were developed to achieve the table’s ribbon-like structure. Concrete Canvas is essentially concrete cloth on a roll. When wet the material is pliable and can be wrapped around specially constructed forms and molds. When dry, the table is removed from the forms and can hold its shape. It is then reinforced with wire mesh. A meticulous finishing process then begins. The surface consists of pigmented cement mortar lightly skim-coated in multiple layers over the entire surface and sanded to a very smooth, highly polished finish. The rich patina of the surface embellishes the dynamic shape and presence of the console.
The Whorl Console can be color customized with a range of cement pigments. It stands 30″ high, 17″ deep and 63″ long. It weighs approximately 150 lbs.
Source
https://www.worldinteriorsnewsawards.com/finalists/whorl-console
https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/tables/console-tables/whorl-console-from-concrete-canvas-collection-neal-aronowitz/id-f_16091141/