Rare Bookcase or Shelving Unit by Friso Kramer and Martin Visser for Asmeta de Bijenkorf 1953

Rare Bookcase or Shelving Unit by Friso Kramer and Martin Visser for Asmeta de Bijenkorf 1953

Rare metal bookcase designed in 1953 by Friso Kramer for the famous warehouse “De Bijenkorf” in Holland, produced by Asmeta. Martin Visser commissioned Friso Kramer to design this metal bookcase or shelving unit. It was a modular system and could be ordered the way you like. This rare edition is completely closed by metal panels. Ofcourse you can remove the panels as you like.

It has dark blue and yellow metal back and light grey shelves, which are the colors of “De Bijenkorf”.

As many of these industrial items, it is in used condition. It has a lot of rust, but on the other hand it is the rust that gives the bookcase its industrial appearance. Besides the rust, the previous owner made quite some holes in the bookcase to adjust the shelves.

Kramer is the son of architect Piet Kramer. In 1963 he founded, together with Wim Crouwel, Benno Wissing, Paul and Dick Schwarz Total Design. From the period of 1971 till 1983 he was ceo at Ahrend. Kramer was a member of the board at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy.