The heated retractable automated massage table is kept beneath the floor, in a void created especially for it. A flooring panel clad to match the surrounding floor area conceals it when not in use.
When required, the OPEN button has everything purring into life. Firstly a rectangular section of the timber floor descends and slides out of the way beneath the main floor. The massage table then rises up into the room, along with a matched infill flooring panel, to create a safe working environment for the masseur with no hazardous gaps.
The entire cycle of the 350kg systems repositioning from closed to open, or vice versa, takes barely 40 seconds.
The massage table has secret buttons beneath the cushion to allow height adjustment between 200mm to 1200mm, depending on preference. The infill floor remains in place at the same level as the surrounding floor.
With such an innovative system it is very hard to control peoples’ excitement and who is to say it is not possible to massage four bodies at any one time? Hence the system is designed to safely withstand extreme over-loading with no risk of collapse or creep. Each of the principal drive motors has not one but two brake systems to ensure secure operation.
A safety ‘curtain’ of light beams stops all movement if obstructions are detected whilst the opening/closing cycles are in action.
Cabling has also been provided to allow for heating to the massage table. It can also accommodate lighting as may be required to further enhance the ‘floating’ nature of the installation.
The original brief was for a massage table that would appear when required to allow a professional massage in a room with a wonderful park view. The full retraction was required to return the room to its more normal general living use.
Scheduling and access restrictions meant that this project had to be installed by hand, after being transported down a number of flights of stairs.