Poul Cadovius Free-Standing Shelf Model 'Abstracta' in Steel and Glass
View Similar Items
Poul Cadovius Free-Standing Shelf Model 'Abstracta' in Steel and Glass
About the Item
- Creator:Poul Cadovius (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 88.59 in (225 cm)Width: 117.72 in (299 cm)Depth: 16.74 in (42.5 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use. Every item Morentz offers is checked by our team of 30 craftsmen in our in-house workshop. Special restoration requests can be done. We guarantee a very high quality standard, ask our design specialists for detailed information.
- Seller Location:Waalwijk, NL
- Reference Number:Seller: 450152981stDibs: LU933124096002
Poul Cadovius
While Poul Cadovius is most famous for his modular floating shelving system, his career in design didn’t actually start with wall units.
Born just outside of Copenhagen in 1911, Cadovius began manufacturing window treatments in the 1940s with his partner, Hother Brønner. He soon turned his focus from venetian blinds to furniture, finding success designing svelte pieces in teak, a richly colored hardwood favored by the Danish mid-century modernists.
In 1945, Cadovius founded the furniture manufacturer Royal System with his designs, including the 1948 Royal System shelving unit, a space-saving solution that underscored Cadovius’s penchant for problem-solving in a multifunctional way. Rather than balance shelves on wooden or metal legs, it held them to the wall with brackets. He followed it with the System Ultra in 1957, the System Cado in 1960 and the System Abstracta, which was installed throughout the exhibition halls of the 1962 Cologne Furniture Fair. All expanded on his idea of wall-mounted shelving that saved space while offering functionality, allowing for limitless combinations of storage, shelves, work surfaces and other units. The Royal System proved to be especially popular and is still produced by Danish furniture brand dk3 today, with early models continuing to be in demand.
Along with the shelving systems, Cadovius designed everything from lounge chairs to mushroom-shaped bus shelters, and he held over 400 patents. In addition to being a designer, he was also an entrepreneur with an eye for opportunity, such as purchasing Danish manufacturer France & Søn in the mid-1960s and folded it into CADO, a company he founded years earlier. He used this as an occasion to experiment with his designs, conceiving such unusual pieces as an aluminum-based dining table topped with rosewood and hand-painted by artist Susan Fjedldoe Mygge.
Cadovius’s innovations in shelving continued throughout his career, with examples like the sculptural Butterfly shelf and vertical pieces mixing shelving and storage. In 2018, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Royal System, dk3 reissued the celebrated shelving system as well as a more compact version reimagined for 21st-century homes.
Find a collection of vintage Poul Cadovius storage cabinets, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Established in 2006, Morentz has a team of approximately 55 restorers, upholsterers, interior advisers and art historians, making it a gallery, workshop and upholstery studio, all in one. Every day, a carefully selected array of 20th-century furniture arrives from all over the world at the firm’s warehouse, where the team thoroughly examines each piece to determine what, if any, work needs to be done. Whether that means new upholstery or a complete restoration, Morentz's aim is always to honor the designer’s intention while fulfilling the wishes of the client. The team is up to any challenge, from restoring a single piece to its original glory to furnishing a large-scale hotel project.
- Poul Cadovius Wall Unit or Room DividerBy Poul CadoviusLocated in Waalwijk, NLPoul Cadovius, open bookshelf or room divider, metal, Denmark, 1960s This sizable and minimalist shelving unit was designed by Poul Cadovius. This shelving system exists of a thin f...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsMetal
- Guglielmo Pecorini Wall Shelf in WalnutBy Guglielmo PecoriniLocated in Waalwijk, NLGuglielmo Pecorini, wall shelf unit, walnut, Italy, design 1954, production 1950s Adjustable unit consisting of a wall construction and two shelves. This piece is designed by Italia...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsWalnut
- Mid-Century Modern Wall Unit in Teak and SteelLocated in Waalwijk, NLWall unit, teak, coated steel, brass, Europe, 1950s Both aesthetics and functionality comes into play in this bookcase; elegant in line and practical to use for any environment. Th...Category
Vintage 1950s European Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsBrass, Steel
- Michel Ducaroy Modular Wall Unit in Black Lacquered Wood and SteelBy Michel DucaroyLocated in Waalwijk, NLMichael Ducaroy, free-standing wall unit, chrome-plated steel, lacquered wood, France, 1970s Sleek and stunning free-standing wall unit designed by Mi...Category
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsSteel
- Wim Rietveld Free-Standing Bookcase in Black and White MetalBy Wim RietveldLocated in Waalwijk, NLWim Rietveld, bookcase, black and white coated metal, The Netherlands, 1960. This free-standing bookcase was originally designed by Wim Rietveld for the famous Dutch high-end department store De Bijenkorf in 1960. The clear structure of the shelf creates a striking design. All horizontal shelves are colored black and in contrast with the white vertical elements. Due to the expressive unsymmetric arrangement of the two white sides and the white element functioning as a backwall, the black shelves...Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsMetal
- Feal Italian Wall Unit in Anodized Aluminum and MahoganyBy FealLocated in Waalwijk, NLFeal (Fonderie Elettriche Alluminio e Lega), model ‘S2’ wall unit, teak, anodized aluminum, Italy, 1950s Both aesthetics and functionality comes into play in this bookcase shelf; e...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsAluminum
- Poul Cadovius 'Abstracta' Free-Standing Shelf in Steel and GlassBy Poul CadoviusLocated in Glendale, AZPoul Cadovius’s “Abstracta” bookcases c. 1960’s. A sleek & sophisticated space age staple. Tall & wide enough for bigger décor, a record player, mc...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsSteel
- Vintage Danish Abstracta Corner Bookcase by Poul Cadovius, 1960sBy Poul CadoviusLocated in Asaa, DKVintage Danish Abstracta corner bookcase by Poul Cadovius, 1960s. Mid-Century Modern minimalistic shelving unit system Abstracta, Denmark designed in 1962 by Danish architect Poul...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Bookcases
MaterialsAluminum, Steel
- Original 1960 Poul Cadovius 'Abstracta' modular Shelf in chromed metal and GlassBy Poul CadoviusLocated in MONTREUIL, FROriginal Poul Cadovius “Abstracta” modular bookcase (not the re-edition). Designed for Royal System, England c. 1960. Features an elegant chromed tubular structure and glass shelves...Category
Vintage 1960s British Bookcases
MaterialsMetal
- Free Standing Biedermeier Book ShelfLocated in New York, NYA fine free standing Biedermeier shelf. Cherrywood with carved details.Category
Antique 1820s Austrian Biedermeier Shelves
MaterialsCherry
- Poul Cadovius 4 "Royal System" Columns in Teak, 1970By Poul CadoviusLocated in Paris, FRRoyal System" wall unit by Poul Cadovius, in teak, with seven shelves and four boxes. The set is supported by a hanging system of wooden brackets. Dimensions of the elements : - 2 modules with sliding doors: D.40 x H.43 x W.80 cm - 1 module with flaps and drawers : D.40 x H.43 x W.80 cm - 1 storage module for vinyl : D.40 x H.43 x W.80 cm - 6 shelves : D.22 x W.80 cm - 1 shelf : D.30 x W.80 cm The "Royal System" : the modular Scandinavian design These design shelves are fully modular. The elements are attached to the wall moldings...Category
20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Bookcases
MaterialsTeak
- Poul Cadovius Shelving Unit 'Abstracta', Denmark, 1960sBy Poul CadoviusLocated in Antwerpen, BEAbstracta shelving unit designed by Poul Cadovius and produced in Denmark around 1960. Frame in black lacquered steel pipes and shelves in teak veneer, figured glass and normal glass...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsSteel
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
You Don’t Need a Fictional Fairy to Get This Real Pinocchio Lamp
Warm chalet style meets cool Bauhaus functionality in Pietro Cascella’s cleverly carved creation.
Morentz Writes the Next Chapter for Furniture with a Storied Past
Dutch dealer Matthijs Hoveijn specializes in the best of mid-century modern design, selling it to discerning clients around the world.