Nendo has designed a collection of shelving units, called Steps, for Italian furniture company Desalto that are based on simple rectangular bookshelves that appear as if split in the middle and slightly tilted. The offbeat concept relaxes the tension that exists in regular horizontal shelves, while an additional benefit is that each shelf can also function as a book-end for books placed on the adjacent shelf.
The thought process can be compared to houses; the existing horizontal shelves are similar to apartment buildings, while the step shelf is more like a multiple-floored house, where there is a physical connection between the different levels.
High rigidity and adhesive strength were required for the shelf’s boards due to their cantilever structure, however their thickness was still kept as thin as 12 mm with the use of high density MDF. Each shelf is fixed to the structure without screws and therefore can be easily removed or replaced. The units were designed in three different proportions and dimensions and offer three colour finishes in black, white and grey. Matching units can be modularly combined and used together according to the user’s preferences and specific needs.
