The Brief
A Sculpture in Motion
Elucid Studio designed the opening reception for Yorkville Murals as an intimate meeting point between art and hospitality. Their idea for the food service was a sculpture in motion: a line of servers, each carrying a curved tray, that together form a single serpentine through the gallery.
Apart, each tray is a serving piece. Side by side, they read as one continuous form.
The Challenge
Three Requirements That Pull Against Each Other
A true steel look and feel: the trays had to read as brushed metal up close, under gallery lighting, and in photographs.
Light enough to carry for hours: solid steel at this size is far too heavy for a server to hold through a full reception.
Six pieces, one shape: each tray had to work on its own and align cleanly with its neighbours to complete the curve. All of this on a tight timeline, with the trays reusable beyond the night.
Our Approach
The Look of Steel at a Fraction of the Weight
We engineered a layered build. Top: 3mm brushed ACM — aluminum composite panel with a fine linear brushed finish, so the surface reads and feels like brushed steel while staying thin and light.
Base: 10mm lightweight PVC adds rigidity so the tray stays flat and stable when loaded, with underside cutouts that remove weight and give servers a secure place to hold.
Edges: every visible edge is wrapped in brushed edge band to match the top surface, so each tray reads as solid steel from every angle. Only the underside stays black.
Each tray is a half ring, 46 in wide by 23 in deep, with a 12 in radius cutout that sits around the server's waist. Corners are rounded for safe handling, and the geometry repeats across all six so the curve flows from one server to the next.
Shop drawing: plan, section and underside with weight relief cutouts.
Prototype First
Validated Before Production
Before full production, we validated the two things that mattered most. A material sample confirmed the brushed finish, and a full-scale cut of the tray in plywood confirmed the proportions against a real body.
Both were turned around in days, so the client could sign off with confidence without putting the event date at risk.
Full-scale proportion test.
The Result
Part Service, Part Installation
On the night, six servers moved through the gallery carrying trays that looked like brushed steel and handled like nothing at all.
Bites sat on mirrored rounds along each curve, and when the servers lined up, the trays closed into the serpentine Elucid had imagined: part service, part installation, in a room full of art.
Apart, each tray is a serving piece. Side by side, they read as one continuous form.
Brushed surface under gallery light.
Technical Specifications
What We Built
Gallery
Project Photos
What We Delivered
End-to-End, Under One Roof
Design Development
Developed Elucid Studio's serpentine concept into buildable geometry that repeats across all six trays.
Prototyping
Material sample for the brushed finish and a full-scale plywood cut for proportions, turned around in days.
Fabrication
Built all six trays in-house: brushed ACM tops, lightweight PVC bases, wrapped edges.
Delivery
Six custom serving trays delivered four weeks from approval to event, reusable beyond the night.
Client Review
What Elucid Studio said
We had a wonderful experience working with the team at Brience on a custom fabrication project. Their care, attention to detail, and ability to translate our vision into a beautifully executed final piece were truly impressive.
What we especially appreciated was the turnaround time. Despite the custom nature of the work, the team was incredibly efficient and delivered within the timeline we needed. Communication throughout the process was timely, clear, and effective, which made the entire experience feel seamless.
We would absolutely recommend the Brience team to anyone looking for custom fabrication. Their experience in the industry is evident, and they bring a thoughtful, expert design philosophy to every body of work. It was a pleasure collaborating with them, and we look forward to working together again.
Elucid Studio
Serpentine Trays — Yorkville Murals opening reception, Toronto