T2 Tangram Coffee Table – Willy Van Der Meeren

• T2 “Tangram” tripod coffee table designed by Willy Van Der Meeren for Tubax, Belgium, circa 1958.
• Tubular steel structure, geometric top.
• W 67.5 × D 58.5 × H 53 cm.
• Wear from use on the top, slight oxidation on the base (see photos).
• Two copies available, price per unit.

Willy Van Der Meeren’s T2 coffee table, known as “Tangram,” moves away from strictly utilitarian logic to introduce a freer dimension to his work, while retaining the construction principles that define his production for Tubax.

A play of shapes within a constrained structure

Unlike his seating, where the structure directly dictates the form, the T2 table follows the opposite logic: a simple, stable tubular steel tripod base supports a top whose design evokes a fragmented geometric composition. This dissociation creates a contrast between constructive rigor and freedom of form.

The name “Tangram” refers to this principle of assembling simple shapes, suggesting a surface that is not reduced to a single figure but to a combination of elements. This approach, rare in Van Der Meeren’s work, introduces a more experimental dimension without breaking with production constraints.

The metal structure, deliberately legible, ensures overall stability while limiting material use. This balance between economy of means and efficiency is central to his approach, here applied to an object that is no longer only equipment but also part of interior layout.

Produced in the late 1950s, this table belongs to a period when domestic furniture evolved toward more open forms, suited to less compartmentalized living spaces. The low top and the base’s visual lightness contribute to this new organization of the home.

In this example, signs of use and slight oxidation on the base recall the object’s utilitarian nature, designed to last and to be part of everyday life. The piece thus retains its original balance between constructive simplicity and graphic presence.