MAARMORILIK
TABLES
| PROJECT TITLE | MAARMORILIK TABLES |
| YEAR | 2022-2025 |
| LOCATION | COPENHAGEN, DENMARK |
| TYPOLOGY | LOW TABLES |
| MATERIALS | GREENLANDIC MARBLE, DANISH OAK, SWEDISH BASALT |
| SIZE | VARIOUS |
| ROLE | DESIGN |
| CRAFTER | E. NIELSEN STENHUGGERI |
Collaborating with skilled stone craftsmen from e-Nielsen, Engel Architects has crafted two unique tables that celebrate the rare beauty of Greenlandic marble. Made from off-cuts of ancient marble boulders, each table embodies not only the rugged elegance of the stone itself but also the principles of sustainable design. These tables showcase the raw, unrefined texture of the marble, marked with drill holes and natural imperfections, which reveal the stone’s origin story and the traditional techniques used to extract it. By transforming these irregular fragments into functional art pieces, Engel Architects has created tables that tell a story of repurposing a rare, ancient material into something beautifully modern.
Imagine a table that doesn’t just serve a function but embodies 1.8 billion years of natural history. Engel Architects, in collaboration with the skilled stone craftsmen at e-Nielsen, has created an exclusive edition of remarkable tables crafted from the off-cuts of large Greenlandic marble boulders. These tables reveal the raw beauty and untamed character of the material, made from the end pieces of irregularly shaped blocks quarried between 1930 and 1970. The marble’s edges and surfaces retain the marks of drill holes and cracks, a testament to the traditional methods of extraction, where blasting and wedges were used to free the boulders from the mountain. Each table tells a story of upcycling a rare natural resource, transforming it into an architectural masterpiece that celebrates both the ruggedness of the stone and the care taken to repurpose it.
Engel’s design incorporates an understated yet sophisticated frame crafted from either solid oak, with two pieces positioned perpendicularly to form a stable base that supports the weight of the marble, or natural basalt—a black, very hard lava stone originating from Sweden. These supports, with their bespoke shapes and geometric precision, are designed to create a striking contrast with the raw, unfinished appearance of the tabletop. Meanwhile, the marble’s surface has been meticulously sanded and brushed by skilled stonemasons, resulting in a matte, silky finish that highlights the stone’s depth and material richness. Subtle strokes of transparency weave across the surface, resembling delicate veins of ice.
Available in several sizes, the table weighs between approximately 100 and 400 kg and spans between 80 cm and over 2 metres. Prices for these unique-edition pieces are available upon request, and arrangements for global delivery can be made for discerning collectors and design enthusiasts worldwide.
Greenlandic marble, considered one of the oldest quarried natural stones on the planet, dates back approximately 1.8 billion years. Although it was commercially quarried in Greenland from the 1930s until around 1970, the marble was eventually overshadowed by more affordable options from Southern Europe, which benefited from lower costs and more efficient logistics. Nonetheless, this light- to coarse-grained marble has left its mark on iconic Danish architecture, featuring prominently in historic buildings such as Overformynderiet (1937), Radiohuset (1940), and Lyngby Town Hall (1943).
The tables are made from outer shells of marble that were left as a by-product during the trimming of raw blocks, prior to being sawed into slabs. Each outer shell has unique, irregular measurements in width, length, and thickness, lending each table its own distinctive character. With only 35 of these outer shells remaining in the world, these tables stand as rare, one-of-a-kind pieces with extremely limited availability—exquisite, bespoke works that invite their owners to partake in a unique piece of Greenland’s natural and cultural heritage.
