The essentials: 20 of the best bookcases

An emblematic example of the rigorous application of a single construction technique - folded sheet metal - the “Congresso” bookcase is a product which was originally strictly industrial (deposits, archives, warehouses), but which, since the 1950s, has been considered to all intents and purposes to be an important intellectual status symbol.

Created for the office, the “Storage Unit” now represents an iconic response to those who consider the “bookcase” a multifunctional system, not exclusively for books. In fact, the shelves also contain small closed containers and even drawers. The metal structure is enriched with a variety of surfaces (for example perforated sheet metal) and colours (the originals, as well as those proposed in a recent colour restyling by Hella Jongerius).

Examining design with the same standards as architectural construction: this is the principle behind “Cavalletto”. Slotted together, the individual bench-like elements stack vertically, creating a rich and articulated side.

Undoubtedly the most famous, and one of the few survivors, in a category which was very popular at the end of the 1950s.  It was seen as a veritable “space separator”, partitioning off the dining room or study from the living room. The main element is the adjustable support which is fixed to the floor and ceiling (a recurring element in much of Albini’s interior design).

An object which best represents minimalism: essential (even in assembly it requires no tools) and eternal (as the extraordinary objects designed by Rams for Braun gradually go out of production, the Universal System stays on as a tribute to one of the most important designers of the 20th century).

Initially used in interiors, this extraordinary object disappeared for a long period, until, in 2015, it became part of Poltrona Frau’s “Icone” collection. “Albero” is a bookcase for the centre of the room, fitted to the floor and ceiling, and can be rotated.

The sign of a moment in history marked by great vitality and research, and of a unique opportunity - the furnishing of the apartments of president Pompidou in the Eliseo - this modular bookcase spreads through the stacking and combination of a system of U-shaped modules.

Despite his premature death, Kuramata remains one of the grand Master of International Design. With this minimalist bookcase he reached an exceptional level of elegance by simply playing on the thickness of the panes of glass, on the rhythm of repetition and naturally on a perfected gluing technique.

An object that we all recognise and know the name of! “Nuvola rossa” spawned infinite copies and re-workings, which are all based on the idea of a bookcase as an abstract form created by the intersecting of supports, shelves and braces. Its particular ability to fold is a probable reference to colonial furniture, which needed to be easily and quickly moved to a new location, also cited by Magistretti in other designs.

One of the most recognised objects in international design, it is immediately associated with the birth of the Memphis movement, and thus with the spreading of post-modernism. It presents the idea of a bookcase whose form outshines the books it contains (in fact it is usually seen empty!), becoming a kind of lay alter or contemporary totem.

This is the most interesting experiment in the transformation of the traditional bookcase into a decorative wall-hanging object, self-expressive beyond the presence of the books themselves. Undoubtedly a typological invention, and undoubtedly a sign of the period in which it was designed.

“PTolomeo” is the proof that it is always possible to invent a new typology. This column which, once it is filled with books, hides its own structure, has revolutionised the world of contemporary furniture, deservedly winning the Golden Compass award in 2004.

“The idea of Infinity - says Antonio Citterio - was to eliminate the container in order to highlight the content”. The bookcase groups and forms veritable libraries. The use of coloured metal - black, cream and beige, as well as red, kaki green and umbra grey - set standards.

The desired effect was magical suspension, obtained through the innovative principle of suspension from above and the completely free positioning of the shelves. The overall engineering of the structure creates no apparent “force”, and actually appears very light.

Seemingly inspired by comic strips, “Cloud” launched a new generation of objects, playful and complete with an undefined function and use (screen? bookcase? for a child’s room? for a boutique?). It fully exploits the potential of rotational technology.

Random, as its name suggests, takes advantage of the irregular distribution of the shelves. Furthermore, the relatively narrow sections for books elegantly solves the need for bookends. The presence of horizontal “pockets” lends movement to the composition and provides cues for innovative uses.

The geometric design which recalls a Japanese ideogram, and the slimness of the acrylic material lend “Shelf X” a notable level of abstraction. A bookshelf that even looks good empty. 

An innovative and surprising combination of two forms of furniture, the console and the shelf, “Melt” also unites the minimalist approach of Thomas Sandell, one of the most important contemporary Swedish designers, with a prestigious and very Italian material, marble. It is interesting for its unstable positioning, given by the upper edge being flush with the wall, while the lower part slopes sharply away. 

An isolated column element, slightly anthropomorphous with its curious crowned/cocked head, which uses a sophisticated palette of colours which are a reference to Japanese nature, from the pink of cherry blossom, to the warm grey of stone. 

A true invention of a new form of furniture which breaks away from the traditional placing or aligning of books by hanging them almost as if they were washing on a clothes line. Created as an element for frequently-read favourite books, it assumes the appearance of a console table.