Pantagruel

Gargantua, the iconic round table by Extremis, celebrates its 20th birthday in 2014. This first-born piece, the apple of designer and Extremis founder Dirk Wynants’ eye, still responds to all the ideals that made the design brand great. In that sense, as an Extremis classic, it is hard to beat. And nonetheless the spontaneous desire for a successor has grown, not to replace it, because the original Gargantua is still part of the collection, but as a worthy alternative, an extension of the range.

The new round picnic table has been aptly named Pantagruel, after Gargantua’s son in the literary masterpieces of Rabelais. There are striking likenesses between the two tables, but a few differences too, for example in their features and the atmosphere they project. The round tabletop of the Pantagruel is fitted with a Lazy Susan, a central revolving tray. The legs are available with a powder coating. The seats are no longer height-adjustable, as they were with the Gargantua. The overall impression is still recognisably sturdy, but the look is just that little bit more elegant, which will make Pantagruel more popular with fans of a more refined aesthetic.