Conglo Table

Norwegian architect Erling Viksjø devoted his career to cultivating a marriage between art and architecture. He was an early champion of modernism and one of the country's most influential postwar architects. He even designed his own line of terrazzo-topped coffee tables. While Viksjø's buildings are described as brutalist for their plentiful use of concrete, they were often expressively embellished through the architect’s collaborations with famous artists.

Viksjø was born in Trondheim and studied architecture at the now-closed Norwegian Institute of Technology, graduating in 1935. He moved to Oslo and found employment at the Ove Bangs architectural office, where he later became the lead architect. During World War II and the Nazi occupation of Norway, Viksjø was imprisoned for more than a year. As soon as the war ended, he established his own architectural firm.

One reason for Viksjø’s success after setting out on his own was the development of the sand-blasted concrete facade. He co-invented the technique with engineer Sverre Jystand and patented it in 1950. Viksjø collaborated extensively with artists like Pablo Picasso, Carl Nesjar, Synnøve Anker Aurdal, Hannah Ryggen and Ramon Isern, who elevated his designs into functional art installations.

Some of the most notable projects Viksjø completed over his career include the Tromsø Bridge (completed 1960), Bakkehaugen Church (completed 1961), Norsk Hydro office building (completed 1962) and Standard Telefon Kabelfabrikk office building (completed 1967).

Throughout his adult life, Viksjø also drew, painted and crafted furniture. His tables employed materials like rosewood, stone and concrete, transferring his architectural style to smaller scales.

Viksjø died in Oslo in 1971, leaving behind a legacy of works that still stand throughout Norway.

On 1stDibs, find a selection of Erling Viksjø tables and other furniture.

The right vintage, new or antique tables can help make any space in your home stand out.

Over the years, the variety of tables available to us, as well as our specific needs for said tables, has broadened. Today, with all manner of these must-have furnishings differing in shape, material and style, any dining room table can shine just as brightly as the guests who gather around it.

Remember, when shopping for a dining table, it must fit your dining area, and you need to account for space around the table too — think outside the box, as an oval dining table may work for tighter spaces. Alternatively, if you’ve got the room, a Regency-style dining table can elevate any formal occasion at mealtime.

Innovative furniture makers and designers have also redefined what a table can be. Whether it’s an unconventional Ping-Pong table, a brass side table to display your treasured collectibles or a Louis Vuitton steamer trunk to add an air of nostalgia to your loft, your table can say a lot about you.

The visionary work of French designer Xavier Lavergne, for example, includes tables that draw on the forms of celestial bodies as often as they do aquatic creatures or fossils. Elsewhere, Italian architect Gae Aulenti, who looked to Roman architecture in crafting her stately Jumbo coffee table, created clever glass-topped mobile coffee tables that move on bicycle tires or sculpted wood wheels for Fontana Arte. 

Coffee and cocktail tables can serve as a room’s centerpiece with attention-grabbing details and colors. Glass varieties will keep your hardwood flooring and dazzling area rugs on display, while a marble or stone coffee table in a modern interior can showcase your prized art books and decorative objects. A unique vintage desk or writing table can bring sophistication and even a bit of spice to your work life. 

No matter your desired form or function, a quality table for your living space is a sound investment. On 1stDibs, browse a collection of vintage, new and antique bedside tables, mid-century end tables and more .