Designer Ron Arad creates a hypnotic ping pong table – the 10 Layers

The unique table is inspired by unique quartz surfaces of Spain’s Cosentino

A curved ping-pong table definitely flouts the regulations of the International Table Tennis Federation, so don’t expect to see this at the Olympics, like, ever. Where you will find Ron Arad’s 10 Layers instead is a cool games room where the intention is equal parts play and equal parts to impress. Designed with a concave surface – dipping gently in the middle – this is meant to slow the game down and make rallies longer, which is good for amateurs who do not have the experience to contend with a lightning flurry of hits.

The uniqueness doesn’t stop there. The name – 10 Layers – is a reference to ten layers of Silestone quartz slabs that form the table surface. Produced by Cosentino in Spain, the material is typically used in exterior architecture – to clad a building tower, perhaps – but a visit to the factory gave Arad an idea that it could be used in something unique. And unique it is. Ten slabs of four different colours – iconic white, kensho (light grey), cemento spa (dark grey) and negro tebas (black) – were curved using the CNC milling process and pieced together to form greyscale concentric circles. Resembling a bullseye – or one of the title credits from a1960s Looney Tunes cartoons – the effect is hypnotic. So try not to get distracted during a game.