Design Miami | One Brick, Two Brick

Jinzhuan, or ‘golden bricks’ are the traditional flooring tiles used exclusively in imperial palaces. The dense clay tile, which does not actually contain gold, but is almost as expensive as the precious metal, is considered a rare collectible treasure. Making one piece of jinzhuan can take two to three years and only a handful of artisans can make them today; even so, the scarce raw material it requires will eventually run out, making them ever more priceless.

For the design of this small table, Neri&Hu celebrates the brick at its center. Treated with the utmost respect, it is purposefully left untouched, elevated by a discreet structure that makes the heavy object appear to levitate. The velvety smooth patina of the deep indigo hued brick and its organic raw edges, is contrasted against the precision of the delicate bronze supports, giving a contemporary interpretation to this ancient material.