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Memphis Milano Bookcases

Italian

To many people, postmodern design is synonymous with the Memphis Group. This Italian collaborative created the most radical and attention-getting designs of the period, upending most of the accepted standards of how furniture should look. Today, the Memphis Milano brand, which is managed by Alberto Bianchi Albrici, still produces designs created by the group between 1981 and 1988.

The Memphis story begins in 1980, when Ettore Sottsass, then a beacon of Italian postmodernism, tapped a coterie of younger designers to develop a collection for the Milan Furniture Fair the next year, determined that all the new furniture they were then seeing was boring. Their mission: Boldly reject the stark minimalism of the 1970s and shatter the rules of form and function. (Sottsass’s Ultrafragola mirror, designed in 1970, embodied many of what would become the collective’s postmodern ideals.)

The group decided to design, produce and market their own collection, one that wouldn’t be restricted by concerns like functionality and so-called good taste. Its debut, at Milan’s 1981 Salone del Mobile, drew thousands of viewers and caused a major stir in design circles.

So as a record of Bob Dylan’s “Stuck Inside of Mobile” played on repeat, they took their name from the song, devised their marketing strategy and plotted the postmodern look that would come to define the decade of excess — primary colors, blown-up proportions, playful nods to Art Deco and Pop art. A high-low mix of materials also helped define Memphis, as evidenced by Javier Mariscal’s pastel serving trays, which feature laminate veneer — a material previously used only in kitchens — as well as Shiro Kuramata’s Nara and Kyoto tables made from colored glass-infused terrazzo.

An image of Sottsass posing with his collaborators in a conversation pit shaped like a boxing ring appeared in magazines all over the world, and Karl Lagerfield furnished his Monte Carlo penthouse entirely in Memphis furniture. Meanwhile, members like Andrea Branzi, Aldo Cibic, Michele de Lucchi, Nathalie du Pasquier, Kuramata, Paola Navone, Peter Shire, George Sowden, Sottsass and his wife, journalist Barbara Radice, went on to enjoy fruitful careers.

Some people think of the Milan-based collective as the design equivalent to Patrick Nagel’s kitschy screenprints, but for others Memphis represents what made the early 1980s so great: freedom of expression, dizzying patterns and off-the-wall colors.

Eventually, the Reagan era gave way to cool 1990s minimalism, and Memphis fell out of fashion. Sottsass left the group in 1985, and by 1987, it had disbanded. Yet decades later, Memphis is back and can be traced to today’s most exciting designers.

“As someone who was born in the 1980s, Memphis at times feels like the grown-up, artsy version of the toys I used to play with,” says Shaun Kasperbauer, cofounder of the Brooklyn studio Souda. “It feels a little nostalgic, but at the same time it seems like an aesthetic that’s perfectly suited to an internet age — loud, colorful and utilizing forms that are graphic and often a little unexpected.”

Find a collection of Memphis Milano seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Creator: Memphis Milano
Carlton Wood Miniature Bookcase by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
Carlton Wood Miniature Bookcase by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection

Carlton Wood Miniature Bookcase by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection

By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Group

Located in La Morra, Cuneo

Here you are shown an authentic and perfect reproduction of the Carlton bookcase, originally designed in 1981 by Ettore Sottsass. The vivid colors and...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Milano Bookcases

Materials

Wood, Plastic

Italian modern laminate bookcase Carlton by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis, 1981
Italian modern laminate bookcase Carlton by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis, 1981

Italian modern laminate bookcase Carlton by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis, 1981

By Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano

Located in MIlano, IT

Italian modern laminate bookcase Carlton by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis, 1981 Carlton bookcase made entirely of wood, covered in colorful Formica: yellow, green, black, pink, red, or...

Category

1980s Italian Modern Vintage Memphis Milano Bookcases

Materials

Formica, Wood

Casablanca Wood Cabinet, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
Casablanca Wood Cabinet, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection

Casablanca Wood Cabinet, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection

By Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano, Memphis Group

Located in La Morra, Cuneo

Casablanca cabinet designed in 1981 for Memphis by Ettore Sottsass, in wood and plastic laminated colors. This is an unlimited edition with a number...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Milano Bookcases

Materials

Wood, Plastic

20th Century, Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Cabinet mod. Casablanca
20th Century, Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Cabinet mod. Casablanca

20th Century, Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Cabinet mod. Casablanca

By Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano

Located in Torino, Piemonte

Ettore Sottsass grew up in Turin, and graduated in architecture from the Turin Polytechnic in 1939. In 1947, he founded his own studio in Milan. In 1956, Sottsass moved to New York w...

Category

1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Memphis Milano Bookcases

Materials

Laminate, Wood

Suvretta Plastic Bookcase, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
Suvretta Plastic Bookcase, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection

Suvretta Plastic Bookcase, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection

By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Group

Located in La Morra, Cuneo

The Suvretta bookcase in plastic laminate was originally designed in 1981, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano. Ettore Sottsass was born in Innsbruck in 1917. In 1939 he graduated...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Milano Bookcases

Materials

Plastic

'Carlton' Room Divider and Bookcase by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano, Italy
'Carlton' Room Divider and Bookcase by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano, Italy

'Carlton' Room Divider and Bookcase by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano, Italy

By Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano

Located in London, GB

Probably the most iconic of all Ettore Sottsass' designs, the colourful Carlton is half room divider, half bookcase and full size sculptural marvel. Des...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Post-Modern Memphis Milano Bookcases

Materials

Laminate, Wood

Gritti Bookcase by Andrea Branzi for Memphis, Italy, 1981
Gritti Bookcase by Andrea Branzi for Memphis, Italy, 1981

Gritti Bookcase by Andrea Branzi for Memphis, Italy, 1981

By Andrea Branzi, Memphis Milano

Located in Piacenza, Italy

Gritti bookcase by Andrea Branzi for Memphis. Bookcase made of wood covered with decorative laminate and natural wood essence, decorative metal elements and glass tops. A perfect exa...

Category

1980s Italian Modern Vintage Memphis Milano Bookcases

Materials

Glass, Wood

Gritti Bookcase, by Andrea Branzi for Memphis Milano Collection
Gritti Bookcase, by Andrea Branzi for Memphis Milano Collection

Gritti Bookcase, by Andrea Branzi for Memphis Milano Collection

By Andrea Branzi, Memphis Group, Memphis Milano

Located in La Morra, Cuneo

Gritti bookcase in plastic laminate, wood, metal and glass. Designed in 1981, by Andrea Branzi. Andrea Branzi, architect and designer, born in Florence,...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Milano Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Italian modern Glass, wood metal Bookcase Gritti by Andrea Branzi Memphis, 2000s
Italian modern Glass, wood metal Bookcase Gritti by Andrea Branzi Memphis, 2000s

Italian modern Glass, wood metal Bookcase Gritti by Andrea Branzi Memphis, 2000s

By Memphis Milano, Andrea Branzi

Located in MIlano, IT

Italian modern Glass, wood and metal Bookcase Gritti by Andrea Branzi for Memphis, 2000s Floor bookcase mod. Gritti with a rectangular base, in wood, glass and metal. The peculiarity...

Category

Early 2000s Italian Modern Memphis Milano Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Italian modern laminate bookcase Suvretta by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis, 1981
Italian modern laminate bookcase Suvretta by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis, 1981

Italian modern laminate bookcase Suvretta by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis, 1981

By Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano

Located in MIlano, IT

Italian modern laminate bookcase Suvretta by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis, 1981 Suvretta bookcase entirely made of wood and covered in Formica. The front features three green laminate...

Category

1980s Italian Modern Vintage Memphis Milano Bookcases

Materials

Formica, Wood

Carlton 30th Anniversary Bookcase by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Design
Carlton 30th Anniversary Bookcase by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Design

Carlton 30th Anniversary Bookcase by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Design

By Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano

Located in Ravenna, IT

Carlton is the most famous and iconic of all the objects designed for Memphis Milano. The piece was designed by Ettore Sottsass and first presented at the historic Memphis exhibition...

Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Memphis Milano Bookcases

Materials

Laminate, Wood

Memphis “Phoenix” Bookcase By Michele De Lucchi, Milan, 1983
Memphis “Phoenix” Bookcase By Michele De Lucchi, Milan, 1983

Memphis “Phoenix” Bookcase By Michele De Lucchi, Milan, 1983

By Memphis Milano, Michele de Lucchi

Located in ABCOUDE, UT

The extraordinary “Phoenix” Bookcase, designed by renowned Italian architect and designer Michele de Lucchi, and produced by the influential Memphis Group in Milan in 1983. Known for...

Category

1980s Vintage Memphis Milano Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Malabar Bookshop by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milan
Malabar Bookshop by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milan

Malabar Bookshop by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milan

By Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano

Located in Ravenna, IT

Malabar is a cabinet-bookcase designed by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano in 1982 and purchased in 2000. Production number 21. Sold with certificate of Authenticity. Featuring she...

Category

1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Memphis Milano Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Lodge Bookcase in Wood by Martine Bedin for Memphis Milano Collection
Lodge Bookcase in Wood by Martine Bedin for Memphis Milano Collection

Lodge Bookcase in Wood by Martine Bedin for Memphis Milano Collection

By Memphis Milano, Martine Bedin

Located in La Morra, Cuneo

Lodge bookcase with four drawers in wood by Martine Bedin for Memphis Milano collection Additional information: Bookcase with four drawers. Structure in in wood finished with pla...

Category

2010s Memphis Milano Bookcases

Materials

Plastic

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Previously Available Items
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Located in Piacenza, Italy

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Memphis Milano bookcases for sale on 1stDibs.

Memphis Milano bookcases are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Memphis Milano bookcases, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 2 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 7 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original bookcases by Memphis Milano were created in the modern style in italy during the 21st century and contemporary. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider bookcases by Ettore Sottsass, Glas Italia, and LapiegaWD. Prices for Memphis Milano bookcases can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,003 and can go as high as $20,367, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $9,855.