Tensegrity Table
The Tensegrity table is one unusual table that, at first glance appears to be floating in the air...
A tensegrity table is one straightforward example of a structure that uses tensional integrity. Many different structures use this principle, and the tensegrity table is one of them.
Tensional integrity is a structural principle where structural elements are arranged in such a way that some of them are under tension, and some of them are under compression. Elements that are under pressure do not come into contact with each other, and the structure is held together with ropes or wires that are under tension.
If we look at the tensegrity table in the top picture, for example, we can see that it has two legs attached to the top and bottom plates. Between these two central legs is a thin wire or string. From the corners, the upper and lower plates are connected by four wires. The central legs on the top and bottom plates are under compression, while the shorter wire, that connects the legs is under tension. Similarly, the wires in the corners understandably do not add any vertical support but help to keep the table balanced due to the tension created in the wires when the table top starts to deviate in some direction.