ET122 Dining Table

In 1964, Herman Miller introduced the Segmented Base Tables, which utilized a newly developed, highly modular system of bases that was rooted in past approaches but far more versatile. The Eameses had previously sought to create increasingly unified bases, now they took the opposite approach. Each component of the Segmented Base—columns, prongs, feet, and crossbeams—was considered as a discrete element that could be altered uniquely in every specification of the design as it was ordered by customers. A key benefit of this system was its ability to expand and contract as needed to support tables in a wide variety of sizes and shapes (including circles, rectangles, and softly contoured rectilinear ovals) that could be used as dining tables, worktables, conference tables, and more. It also allowed the tables to be packed flat for shipping (in the case of very large conference tables, the tops were also broken down into segments). This example shows the assembly at its most basic, with a single vertical steel column and four cast aluminum legs. Both the surface of the tabletop and its underside are covered in a walnut veneer. This kind of detailing is characteristic of the Eameses, who eschewed cutting corners and believed in making what they called “complete designs,” elegantly finished in all respects.