A Gaudí-inspired classic recast in ripples

GUBI presents Barba Corsini’s Pedrera Coffee Table with structured glass tops

The Pedrera Coffee Table is reimagined with a trio of structured glass tops, bringing texture, color, and sensory depth to Spanish architect Barba Corsini’s celebrated design.

Inspired by the rippling play of water and the undulating contours of La Pedrera, the structured glass surfaces enrich Corsini’s well-loved silhouette with a fresh material identity.

Pedrera GUBI Spring 2026 02

When Corsini first designed the Pedrera Coffee Table in 1955, he was immersed in Antoni Gaudí’s masterpiece Casa Milà, affectionately known as La Pedrera. Sharing Gaudí’s belief that straight lines do not exist in nature, Corsini devised a slender steel base with an organically rounded glass top. Sculptural yet light, rational yet organic, the table became a modernist touchstone – and one of GUBI’s enduring icons since its relaunch in 2010.

Where glass becomes structure

Each tabletop is crafted using a traditional glass-fusing technique. A sheet of glass is heated in a kiln until it naturally sags under its own weight into a handmade mold, shaping the underside with a rippled pattern while leaving the topside smooth. No pressure is applied in this process; the final form is achieved through the precise control of heat and gravity. Once cooled, the glass is tempered for strength and durability.

This dual-surfaced construction lets light diffuse softly through the glass, scattering shifting reflections into organic patterns. Viewed from above, the effect recalls ripples on water – a sensory depth that both obscures and reveals the sculptural base beneath. Produced in Italy, each top undergoes cutting, grinding, fusing, and tempering before being paired with the Pedrera frame in black, brass, or chrome.

Nature’s hues, retold in glass

Each tabletop is crafted from tinted glass, created by adding trace amounts of colorant oxides to the molten material to achieve a dyed-through finish. This method preserves the glass’s natural luminosity and transparency, and prevents surface wear, as the tint is fused into the structure rather than applied as a coating.

The palette brings three moods to Barba Corsini’s design. Transparent celebrates light itself, airy and alive with shifting reflections. Smoke introduces a cool gray tone that adds modern refinement. Bronze radiates warmth with a rich brown tone that evokes a subtle 1970s elegance. Together, the finishes form a spectrum of natural expression, each transforming the Pedrera Coffee Table, with the steel frame underscoring the luminous depth of the glass.

From Gaudí’s vision to Corsini’s icon

Barba Corsini created the Pedrera Coffee Table while working as chief architect on Gaudí’s Casa Milà in Barcelona, today a UNESCO World Heritage Site, reimagining its loft apartments with bespoke furniture. Its V-shaped frame echoes the vaulted ceilings, while its organically rounded form gives it a sculptural presence from every angle. With the addition of structured glass, the table reconnects with its origin, its play of texture, light, and movement recalling both Gaudí’s undulating stone facade and the flow of water across a natural surface.

Initially designed in 1955 by Corsini, the Pedrera Coffee Table was re-edited in 1991 in collaboration with curator and gallerist Joaquim Ruiz Millet through Ruiz Millet’s Galeria H20 in Barcelona. GUBI, working with Ruiz Millet, relaunched the table and the PD2 Floor Lamp in 2010, two years after Corsini’s death.

Enduring form, expressed in structured glass

Offered alongside the original smooth transparent version, the new structured-glass editions in Transparent, Smoke, and Bronze add renewed depth to the Pedrera Coffee Table while staying true to Barba Corsini’s light, organic vision. In step with today’s revived love of glass, it reasserts itself as a versatile design classic – equally at home in contemporary living spaces and hospitality settings. Playful yet timeless, organic yet modernist, it continues its dialogue between architecture, nature, and design with enduring relevance.

Images and content courtesy of GUBI

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