EXTREMIS | PANTAGRUEL

Design: Dirk Wynants, 2013

As a precursor to PANTAGRUEL: GARGANTUA, the iconic round table and bench set by extremis, has been available for more than 20 years. The first creation and pride and joy of designer and extremis founder Dirk Wynants embodies all the ideals that have made this design brand successful and has established itself internationally as a distinctive design classic. Nevertheless, Dirk Wynants felt a spontaneous desire for a successor. Not as a replacement – GARGANTUA remains an important part of the collection – but as an alternative, as an extension.

The round picnic table was named PANTAGRUEL, after Gargantua's son in the literary masterpieces of François Rabelais. There are striking similarities between the two tables, but also some differences, particularly in terms of functionality and character. The round tabletop of the PANTAGRUEL is equipped with a Lazy Susan, a rotating central plate. In addition to the hot-dip galvanized version, the legs are also available with a white, earth-brown, or black-brown powder coating. The seats are no longer height-adjustable like GARGANTUA. The overall impression is robust, but a touch more delicate, elegant, with a refined aesthetic.

The need to give the design a suitable name prompted extremis to take another close look at the inspiring life and work of François Rabelais, the French writer and humanist of the early 16th century. Dirk Wynants had already borrowed his name 20 years earlier: The giants Gargantua and his son Pantagruel are Rabelais's most famous literary figures. To this day, the terms "rabelaisian" and "gargantuan" are often associated with excessive eating and drinking, dirty jokes, and earthly pleasures. However, anyone who truly knows Rabelais's work knows that the boisterous humor and satire had a deeper meaning. Between the lines, Rabelais defended bold and groundbreaking new ideas.

The common ground between Rabelais and extremis is aptly characterized in the following comment: "Rabelais is a man who heralds modernity. Laughing, he defends freedom of religion, liberation from medieval narrow-mindedness, joie de vivre, and even the self-fulfillment of the individual. He is a great optimist who invites us to his table, where delicious food and a warm atmosphere await us."

The furniture invites you to take your place at the table with Rabelais, Gargantua, and Pantagruel…

Techsheet (pdf)
Architects Summary (pdf)