Glass is one of the most popular materials used in modern design. A huge variety of different products are manufactured from glass, from large scale buildings through to furniture, containers, ornaments, and technological components. One of the most iconic glass designs from the last few decades is the glass table, a piece of furniture which defines modern product design in many ways.
glass tables are widely produced all over the world, and come in a variety of different sizes and styles. Glass tables are generally manufactured from plate glass, which is also known as flat glass or sheet glass. This type of glass is a particularly strong version of glass that is also used for windows, glass doors, transparent walls, and windshields. Glass is an amorphous solid material that is non-crystalline in nature, with brittle and transparent qualities. Glass was not traditionally used in architecture and furniture making, due to its brittle and fragile nature. However, developments in the production of plate glass made it possible for it to be used in these contexts, and it is now commonly seen in both buildings and furniture design. The use of glass is one of the cornerstones of modern architecture and product design, due mostly to the fact that it has only been possible to use it in recent times. New synthetic materials and production techniques have featured widely in modern furniture design, with glass being one of the most important. Along with glass tables, fibreglass is also highly popular in the design and manufacture of chairs, outdoor suites, and light fittings.

Glass tables are used as coffee tables, dining room tables, and outdoor entertainment tables, although their most popular use is in living rooms. In order for glass to be used in the manufacturing of tables, it needs to go through a number of distinct processes. Along with the preparation and mixing of the raw materials before going in the furnace, plate glass is also formed by the float glass process. This was developed between 1953 and 1957 by Sir Alastair Pilkington and Kenneth Bickerstaff from the Pilkington Brothers in the United Kingdom, when they managed to create a continuous ribbon of glass where the molten material is not influenced by gravity. Ever since this time, glass has been used widely in architecture, building, and product design, including its iconic use in the famous glass table design.