ALTAR make film, music and pop culture-inspired furniture so we were keen to drop into the opening of their pop-up lounge space on London’s Bethnal Green Road, launched as part of the 2016 London Design Festival.

Hungarian designer András Lacfi’s forté is in carefully sourcing original pinball tables from around the world and lavishly upcycling them as fully playable, elaborate coffee tables – with an enormous sense of detail, craft and fun.

András advertised to find someone who could help bring is vision to life and it was an ex church organ maker named Ernő who answered his prayers. Working to András’s heavily involved and ambitious designs, Ernő helps create meticulously lacquered and detailed furniture pieces for these reimagined pinball machines which come complete with many surprises and new LED light programmes.

“The original parts are completely torn down, lighting is converted to LEDs and the playfields are touched up if necessary. We pay a lot of attention to keeping all outer decoration close to the age, concept and theme of the donor game” says Andras. The result is a series of fan boy temples built in honour of cinema, music and pinball.

Part of the series called ‘Arcade Resurrection’ is the Spider-Man themed ‘Peters Apple’.

It features a hand-carved 3D Manhattan skyline facia (with moving elevator lights), a rooftop helipad and pool with a drowned superhero – all finished with automotive grade paint with a high gloss finish. The 1978 pinball playfield from ‘The Amazing Spiderman” sits on top. This pinball must be very thankful of its shiny new home given that it survived the Balkan Wars in a bombed Belgrade arcade.

‘The Shuttle’ Interactive coffee table features an original Star Trek pinball playfield, with new electronic controls, LED lighting and four glowing ‘meteorites’ built into it’s back container.

The Incredible Hulk also has it’s own pinball coffee table alter as do many music themed pieces.

Eccentric? Yes! and we thank the heavens above that people like András Lacfi exist to create high end, luxury playfulness at it’s best. A true pinball wizard.

Having played a few poor games ourselves however, it was somewhat of a relief to find that the low angle of the coffee table meant we couldn’t see our score!

Available to buy now from the Altar website and check them all out in person at the Altar Lounge pop-up store which is open until Sunday 25^th September at 135 Bethnal Green Road, London E2 7DG