Piggyback
Manufactured by Magis, Italy
The Italian furniture company Magis asked the studio to design an expanding table. Instead of having wings or other mechanisms, it would divide into two tables, which could be used separately, placed side by side to make a big table or put end to end to make a long one.
Heatherwick Studio decided to make a table with a secret. It would look like a completely normal table when the two parts were combined but come as a surprise when it separates into two.
Piggyback consists of two tables that sit tightly on top of each other. The legs of the upper table pass through holes in the surface of the lower one and slot into the legs of the lower one. The tops of the combining tables are the same size, but their edges have slightly different profiles, to give you a finger-hold to lift them by. This also allows their tops to fit snugly against each other when the tables stand side by side.