The beauty of modular design

A furniture system that uses modularity to form its own compositional alphabet, Cubit® consists of a large number of modules in various sizes able to respond to different storage needs. A simple recipe for modular living with which the user is free to design furniture to suit their own specific requirements, where the content determines the form of systems of shelving but also sideboards, bedside tables or wifi units

LagoLinea could be drawn freehand. Thanks to the system of suspended sides, this wall-mounted bookcase designed by Daniele Lago takes over the wall creating compositions that are easy to adapt to the surrounding environment. LagoLinea continues to be a winning solution on account of the total freedom of expression that it gives the user, who can create forms that relate to the space overall, in total absence of structural restrictions.

A modular system is based on the repetition of a module. The one used in the Bob programme of seating designed by Stefan Borselius and Thomas Bernstrand for Swedish brand Blå Station is one of the smallest: the basic element used in the system is 26 cm wide. Bob Job adds to the extreme flexibility of the Bob series a number of extra components in wood such as shelves and tops to provide added functionality.

A good example of a modular and multi-purpose sofa is the Lucy system by Offecct – that the Swedish company has named after its creator, British designer Lucy Kurrein. Breaking down the barriers between the office and home, this sofa combines comfort and structure. An alternative work station that is also modular, based on single seats, Lucy incorporates upholstered modules and additional functions such as shelves and hooks.

To respond to the renewed demand for flexibility that characterises work spaces, the Veneto-based company has presented an integrated design by Enzo Berti that combines elements of furniture with sound-absorbing partitions. DV300 is an extensive programme that proposes two groups of products: on the one hand, the partitions with sound-absorbent function DV300-C Zone, and on the other worktops, poufs and lounge chairs that make up part of the extensive furniture programme DV300-Refuge.

With its triangular tops and modular nature, Ply is a system of side tables and stools by Lievore Altherr Molina that translates the fluid lines of wood into a single form. Like in the game of Tangram, where forms and colours are united to create an original overall effect, Ply plays on the geometry of its surfaces. Designed to be continuous from the top down to the base, it combines the warmth of the material with a minimalist profile. Tables and chairs are available in a natural oak, black and red finish.

Offering maximum modularity is this design by Francesco Binfaré that uses basic geometric principles with great freedom and imagination. Comprised of four seats in different shapes and two backs that can be positioned as desired, On the Rocks can be used to create various scenarios that can be multiplied exponentially.

Millepiedi reworks the concept of the seat for large spaces, and integrates the Pocket Gardens by Michieli Floricultua in order to create dynamic solutions able to heighten the dialogue between nature and design – something that has proved significant to increasing people’s level of happiness in living environments.

Making the principles of functionality of the 1950s their own, Cassina have (re)discovered a key design from the legacy of modernist architecture, reconstructing in a limited edition a bedroom from the Maison du Brésil designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1959. In the early 1950s, the Brazilian government planned the construction of a ‘Brazilian home’ destined to house around a hundred Brazilian students and artists in Paris. The project was commissioned to Lucio Costa, who appointed Le Corbusier as the local architect who in turn, involved Charlotte Perriand in the design of the interiors. With respect to the initial design by Le Corbusier, the final solution presented some variations that combined the design vocabulary of Perriand with the principles of the Modernist master. Rationally divided and usable from alternative sides, the wardrobe is placed with the short side facing with the opposite one against the wall, with an open fronted space divided into shelves for books, while the opposite side acts as the headboard for the bed that incorporates a square-shaped alcove. The series is completed with a tabouret in wood.

Cavalletto, a furnishing system designed by Angelo Mangiarotti in 1953 and characterised by the modular elements in the shape of an upside-down “V”, which can be stacked with the use of a simple gravity joint. It is currently produced by Agapecasa.

In the idea of space is the idea of a continuum that presupposes the possibility of proceeding by partial subdivision. With this design, Zanon Architetti Associati have addressed the rationalisation of spaces with the creation of a micro-architectural system, modular and continually reconfigurable, designed to define and organise the spaces we live in. The construction elements are minimalist forms that are combined together, creating horizontal and vertical surfaces that firstly respond to different functional demands – seats and tops – and then separate space by becoming containers or supports integrated with lighting systems, fabrics and acoustic panels.

The basic modules of Teorema by Ron Gilad can be placed on an axis or in an unusual off-centred position. Also in the version with glazed fronts, the drawers, placed off-centre with respect to the rest of the unit, are superimposed to create a single solid with a densely faceted surface.

Freely configurable, Montana Free is a flexible partition that is ideal for dividing the space within rooms, while integrating the function of storage unit. Each individual module in the system can be adapted with the addition of fabric panels as a backrest.

Conceived by Lema in 1978 and continually being updated, Selecta is an example of a modular system applied to the bookcase that opens up a practically infinite array of compositional possibilities through the option of adding doors and containers to the open fronted shelves .

A timeless design by Dieter Rams for De Padova, 606 is a wall system or space divider, a fluid, highly flexible programme proposed entirely in aluminium. In the home it is a bookcase, storage unit or walk-in closet. In the office it is a filing or display cabinet for keeping objects in order.

A legendary design created by Bruno Munari in 1971 and awarded the Compasso d’Oro in 1979, Abitacolo is a habitable module that has been conceived to satisfy all the living requirements of young people in a small space. Abitacolo can be fitted with shelves, baskets and a reclinable table.

The outcome of Antonio Citterio’s research into dimensionally revising the typology of the wall-system, Flat.C is a flexible system that envisages an almost infinite number of configurations based on a modular grid that organises the elements of the composition restricting the proportion.

Neri&Hu question the sofa typology by breaking apart the normally bulky and cumbersome furniture into its components, which can be reassembled in flexible parts. The back component draws from the origins of Gan as a textile brand, by referencing old style weaving looms. The vertical structure allows handmade fabrics to be hung as a backdrop, while an elastic woven strap serves as a support for the moveable back cushions. The seat element is also composed of separate cushions as well as a small wooden surface which can act as a small side table, each interchangeable for various configurations.

This versatile storage unit is conceived to distinguish living spaces by satisfying all kinds of functions on the part of the user. Designed by Flavio Caronni and Donato Bonanomi – together in the Caronni + Bonanomi studio – the bookcase stands out for its aesthetic rigour and strong geometric matrix, in a balance of the rational and the practical that leaves no room for the superfluous.

There are two women behind the Milan-based firm Bernhardt & Vella: Ellen Bernhardt (German) and Paola Vella (Italian). Having met on the test bench of a design firm, the designers share a vision of design which moves through the expression of emotivity and poetry. With a distinctive touch of feminine elegance, Bernhardt & Vella have for some time joined the ranks of the designers chosen by Arflex, for which they recently designed the Alba bookcase. Exceptional in its versatility, Alba is a bookcase for both display and containment which consists of a metal structure with shelves in coloured glass. Thanks to its single- pin fixing system, the coloured glass shelves allow for circular compositions to be created, while the semi-circles in coloured glass are both geometric decorations and bookends.

String® is a complex shelving solution that offers an almost infinite variety of combinations. The system is based on a design by Nils Strinning from 1949 and is considered a classic of Scandinavian design. The Swedish brand String was established in 2005 with the aim of giving new life to the legacy left by Strinning.

Fluidity of form characterises the work of design duo LucidiPevere. Securely-fixed to the wall, the modular Talea bookcase takes inspiration from the world of plants and highlights a constant tension between horizontal and vertical elements, thick and thin sections, dark woods and precious metals.