USM Haller: the new frontiers of modularity

The USM Haller modular system was the fruit of a partnership between the engineer Paul Schärer – the grandson of Ulrich Schärer, who founded the company in 1885 – and Fritz Haller, one of the most influential Swiss architects of the second half of the 20th century. In the early 1960s, Haller was called on to build the company's new headquarters in Münsingen, near Bern. The resulting building is characterised by a structural steel frame; an innovative, modular, flexible system that can be adapted to the various stages of production. However, the duo's true intuition was to "scale down" the project and design furniture following the same principles. The modular system that we all know, patented in 1965, was initially designed exclusively for the company's offices, but due to its great potential, it went into general production a few years later. In little time, USM Haller furniture became an international success in a varying range of both professional and domestic contexts. 2001 saw the culmination of this success story, with the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York acquiring the modular system for its permanent collection.

The iconic metal sphere is, without a doubt, the symbol of the furniture system's modularity and constructive freedom, which is based on a simple composition of joints, rods and surfaces. The chrome-plated brass spheres are accompanied by steel tubes and panelling elements in 14 colours and 3 materials (powder-coated steel sheet, perforated metal and glass). The components of the Swiss modular furniture have remained unchanged since 1965 and are all compatible with each other, regardless of the period in which they were produced. USM’s modern and colourful product range also includes desks, partitions, tables and workstations. The latest addition to the Swiss company's celebrated modular furniture system is USM Haller E, a solution enhanced with wireless lighting elements seamlessly integrated into the supporting structure.

Thanks to the new interactive 3D configurator, USM allows the desired solution to be immediately and intuitively designed. This digital tool guarantees unprecedented  freedom and is the natural contemporary evolution of the USM Haller philosophy. Thanks to its versatility and unique style, USM furniture fits perfectly into the most varied of environments; ideal for working spaces, either open plan or with partitioned workstations, and also suited to retail and contract projects both public and private, as well as educational and cultural establishments such as museums, libraries and universities. USM's modular solutions are also perfect in all areas of the home, from the living room to bedrooms, and even the bathroom.