Coffee Table from the USSR Techcenter

Product detailed description

The product is currently on display as part of the Ugly exhibition at the Design Museum Prague in Kampa, Prague. Please contact us for more information.

This coffee table is part of the original furnishings of the Bratislava Techcenter for Road and Construction Machinery in the Slovakian town of Polianky. Completed in 1979 to mark the 62nd anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution, the building was conceived as a showcase of cooperation between Soviet and Czechoslovak engineering companies. It was no ordinary structure – it was a modern space that brought together service, parts sales, and the presentation of technological innovations under one roof. At first glance, it was intended to represent the country’s technical advancement. While the architecture was designed by Pavol Frištacký, the interiors were entrusted to the trio of Miloslav Mudrončík, Juraj Párovský, and Ivan Petelen. They created custom furniture for the space in the spirit of progressive “technicist design,” which does not hide industrial details but instead makes them the main visual feature. The surviving pieces are now extremely rare and represent a valuable example of late modernism for collectors.

The table was designed as a commissioned piece specifically for the most prestigious areas of the Techcenter – the VIP lounges, meeting rooms, and lobby. At first glance, the table captivates with its precisely crafted chrome circular base, complemented by the original glass top. This circular geometry and compact form perfectly capture the technicist aesthetic of that era. The table is in very good original condition. The chrome is slightly scratched, and the glass is chipped in one spot.