The unusual beauty of the Rio table, matched by its functionality make it a veritable work of art. The six segments, made in solid wood, each with a different radius, offset from each other, create a jagged outer edge, while the hole in the center evokes a center of gravity.

Originally designed in 1962, it found its way into the center of a collaborative project in Paris between Charlotte Perriand and Jean Prouvé for the Japanese Ambassador's private residence there. In 1966, Japan's ambassador to France, Toru Haguiwara, commissioned architect Junzo Sakakura to design his Paris residence. Sakakura, a Le Corbusier-trained architect and former president of the Architectural Association of Japan, was occupied with his practice in Japan at the time and appointed Charlotte Perriand as project leader. Perriand worked with Jean Prouvé on the elevations and major structural elements.

Sakakura's choice of Perriand was no coincidence. In 1940, on his advice, she had accepted an invitation from the Japanese Ministry of Commerce and Industry to travel to Tokyo and help guide the national production of objects and furniture for export. The experience proved deeply formative, shaping her appreciation for traditional craftsmanship and natural materials, qualities that would go on to define much of her subsequent work.

Cassina's reissue faithfully reproduces the original 1962 design, honoring both its geometry and its spirit, thanks to the exceptional craft skills of the artisans of Meda, in the Brianza area north of Milan. Available with either a Viennese woven cane or marble top and solid oak frame.