ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products
The idea for the coffee tables originated when Katharina Siepe and Moritz Kinkel met at university and decided to create a product together. Inspiration came from the full-size barrels which are used across Germany as standing tables in bars.
The 220-litre barrels arrive in raw condition and are cut in half by Urbn Barrel
“Industrial living is very big in Germany so materials such as steel and concrete are quite popular,” notes Katharina Siepe who is responsible for marketing and co-design of products at Urbn Barrel. “But we quickly realised that a whole 220-litre barrel was too big to fit into a modern living space.”
The barrels are made by Siepe, a company which specialises in the production of containers for consumer and industrial applications.
Each barrel is formed from the cold forming
grade DC01A which is produced at ArcelorMittal Eisenhüttenstadt (Germany). The thickness of the steel is just 1 mm, making each barrel relatively light but strong. “We’ve tested the stability and load-bearing capacity of all our designs,” notes Moritz Kinkel. “They easily cope with loads up to 250 kilograms. The tables are very stable, very strong, even with two or three openings.”
Openings are marked out to create the different designs
Holes are cut with a circular saw to provide access to the storage space
In the Barrel Buddy and Barrel Butler options, a central shelf is fitted to increase storage
In one of the final steps, the top is added to the barrel and fitted with a wooden disc
Each barrel is finished with trim to ensure there are no sharp edges
“We experimented with the number of openings before we settled on the final designs,” explains Moritz Kinkel. “One thing that we discovered was that a steel top was quite noisy when you put down a glass. I contacted local carpenters who are now creating wooden tops for us in oak, cherry, alder, and nut.”
The paint system is extremely robust explains Katharina Siepe: “You can scratch the paint and it won’t mark. It’s ideal for homes with children or pets. The paint system and wooden top are both water resistant, so you can use your Urbn Barrel in the garden.”