Cassina Veliero Bookcase in Ash by Franco Albini

Name: Cassina Veliero Bookcase in Ash by Franco Albini
Brand: Cassina
Price: 38012 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

The iconic Veliero bookcase re-invents the concept of balance, becoming the furniture poster child for the visionary work of Franco Albini. Given its flexible use, this double-sided bookcase with solid wood uprights can serve as a room divider, as a ‘furnished window’ with a view of fresh new scenarios in contemporary living. The bold energy of this design bookcase is channeled through a vibrant, intricate, aerial structure that is, at the same time, surprisingly linear. The bookcase consists of two pillars of natural matte finished ash with brass tip ends and a metal rod frame. The shelves are made of extra light tempered and layered glass with polished edge. External braces and glass shelf support braces are stainless steel. Defying the laws of physics, going beyond what we normally understand by the conditions of equilibrium, this bookcase is nothing short of a manifesto for Cassina's design and construction capabilities. After a lengthy period of research and development, ably assisted by state-of-the-art technology, the company's designers created a production prototype of the original 1940 piece that architect Franco Albini made as a one-off for his Milan home. Respecting the authentic underlying concept of the design, with its compelling experimental feel, as well as its surprisingly spare, linear looks, today's model preserves the minimal ideal of the original: a feeling of air and light so that the books and objects seem to float free. Thus does Cassina restore to the contemporary world of design one of its most emblematic artefacts, a piece that has acquired the status of a work of art, as magical now as it was when it was first seen.

Creator:

Cassina (Manufacturer)

Attributed to:

Franco Albini (Designer)

Dimensions:

Height: 104.7 in (265.94 cm)Width: 80.9 in (205.49 cm)Depth: 21.8 in (55.38 cm)

Style:

Modern (In the Style Of)

Materials and Techniques:

Ash,Brass,Glass,Stainless Steel,Carved,Lacquered,Tempered

Place of Origin:

Italy

Period:

2010-

Date of Manufacture:

Contemporary

Production Type:

New & Custom(Current Production)

Estimated Production Time:

Available Now

Condition:

Seller Location:

Vancouver, CA

Reference Number:

1stDibs: LU3315324366682

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Cassina

Furniture manufacturer Cassina is a prolific design house for more reasons than one: It not only owns the licenses to an exquisite collection of iconic chairs, sofas, tables and other pieces from the 20th and 21st centuries but also produces original works that are characterized by innovation and the finest Italian craftsmanship.

Cassina’s illustrious legacy includes being one of the first companies to bring industrial design to Italy in the 1950s. Founded in 1927 in Meda, Italy, by brothers Cesare and Umberto Cassina, the Italian manufacturing giant originally specialized in bespoke woodworking. In nearly a century since its founding, the company has shown incredible foresight about design trends and the evolution of technology.

In 1964, Cassina signed an exclusive licensing agreement to manufacture furniture by Le Corbusier and his collaborators — such as the LC4 chaise longue made with trailblazing French modernist Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret — a move that would shape the future of the company. Cassina’s I Maestri collection is an ongoing initiative to restyle landmark designs from the 20th century, such as pieces by Gerrit Rietveld (the Red and Blue armchair from 1918), Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Erik Gunnar Asplund, Franco Albini and Frank Lloyd Wright. The company preserves the intentions and original styles of their designs but adds updated techniques, materials and processes — rendering them the best possible combination of past, present and future. The brand has also worked with contemporary icons like Zaha Hadid, Gio Ponti and Philippe Starck.

Cassina’s original designs are cutting-edge as well. They include pieces for everyday use, the development of which is guided by comfort and the marriage of Italian craftsmanship with industrial technology.

Some of Cassina’s pieces, both from its contemporary and I Maestri collections, can be found in the collections of museums like the Museum of Modern Art and the Vitra Design Museum. In 2014, the company became part of Haworth in its acquisition of Italian furniture group Poltrona Frau, and in 2015, Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola joined Cassina as its art director, leading the brand into its next century of inventive style.

Find a collection of new and vintage Cassina furniture on 1stDibs.