Kompakt welcomes ALTAR, the creative team behind a recycled pinball machine project that has media outlets adding their coffee tables to their wishlists!
Hi there, would you like to introduce ALTAR?
ALTAR is a young company, formed last year by András Lacfi, a 41-year-old marketing expert with a love of rock music, scuba and, of course, pinball machines. ALTAR takes pinball machines at the end of their lives and turns them into amazing furniture. No two tables are the same, and its craftsman Ernő Balogh spends between 200 and 350 hours in a Budapest workshop on each one.
Where did the idea come from to repurpose and upcycle vintage pinball machines into coffee tables?
ALTAR Furniture started almost by accident. András loves pinball machines and the first coffee table conversion happened after a machine of his broke. He decided that turning it into a coffee table would give the machine a new lease of life, even if it couldn’t be used to play pinball any more. Also, he’d be able to keep it in his living room.
That first table was based on the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and, once it was complete, András’ wife Tilda wondered if other people might be captivated by these creations. Two more tables were made, Ernő was hired full time and ALTAR was launched.
What is the most challenging aspect of this art and recycling project?
It’s incredibly difficult to track down a playfield that is more-or-less complete, but is not worth restoring as a working pinball table. András is a huge pinball fan and there’s no way he would want to use a playable machine in his work. Even though ALTAR doesn’t make the machines playable again, it still has to track down spare parts and that can be a real struggle too. But the attention to detail in these pieces is so important, the team don’t really give themselves a choice!
Is ALTAR working on any other ways to make recycled furniture?
The company also makes cabinets (Spinach) and desks (Luke’s Desk, see above). That’s more than enough to keep this little outfit busy at the moment.
Thanks guys!
Check out the whole range of recycled pinball machines here.