aluminum ping-pong table plays meditative sounds in every game

Recreating sound bath with aluminum ping-pong table

At Design Miami.Paris 2025, artist James de Wulf unveils a ping-pong table with aluminum plates that plays meditative sounds every time the ball hits the surface. On view at L’hôtel de Maisons in Paris between October 22nd and 26th, 2025, the Resonating Ping Pong Table, Song No. 1 (2025) is reminiscent of a xylophone and sound bath in one, as the project isn’t only made for playing table tennis but also doubles as a musical instrument in the form of healing vibrations. The surface is made from aluminum plates that are carefully tuned to specific musical notes.

There are six different notes, and they are tuned to the A Minor Pentatonic scale, which is a musical scale often used to create calm and balanced sounds. When a player hits the ball, the vibration from the impact makes the metal plate vibrate, producing a sound that matches one of these notes. As the game continues and the ball moves across different parts of the table, each hit creates a new tone. The sounds then form a kind of melody that changes with every rally. The idea is that while people play ping pong, they also create a piece of live sound, a rhythm that depends on the speed, position, and strength of their movements.

all images courtesy of James de Wulf | photos by Nicky Roding

Rubber and foam balls change the sound performance

The top of the ping-pong table by artist James de Wulf is made from anodized aluminum to strengthen the metal, protect it from rusting, and improve the sound quality by helping the plates vibrate more clearly. The body of the table is varnished, and the structure is stable enough for play but also has the look of a piece of modern furniture. The net in the middle is removable. When the net is taken off, the flat surface can be used as a dining table. This gives the piece a dual function: it can be a musical ping pong table or a large surface for gatherings.

James de Wulf also designed tailored rackets to work with the sound-tuned surface of his aluminum ping-pong table. The rackets are used with a rubber ball, which gives a good bounce and makes the sound vibrations clear, and for quieter use, there are also foam balls. Both types of balls change the sound performance and the way the table reacts during play. The tuning of the plates is done manually, with each of the six plates adjusted to match a specific note. After the Design Miami.Paris 2025 fair, the artist says that there are 10 aluminum ping-pong tables to be produced, with each of them having a Certificate of Authenticity signed by the artist himself.

at Design Miami Paris 2025, artist James de Wulf unveils a ping-pong table with aluminum plates