The 606 Universal Shelving System, created by the designer, Dieter Rams, in 1960, is a design classic. It’s a revolutionary way of building shelves - a modular system that can be used for one shelf or an entire library. It’s adjustable and extendable without tools and is fabricated in metal with simple, clean lines. Customers can add to their system slowly and seamlessly – a shelf at a time if they wish – as their needs change.
‘I’m passionate about the thinking behind the product,’ says Mark Adams, Vitsœ’s managing director. ‘It’s something that lasts a lifetime. You can re-plan it to suit you, add to it and take with you when you move house.’
Vitsœ’s philosophy for over 40 years has been to ‘help people live better with less that lasts longer. ‘Dieter Rams was ahead of the curve but his thinking has been deeply unfashionable for 50 years,’ Adams adds. ‘We live in a throw away society. My parents got their toaster as a wedding present and they were still using it on their 25th wedding anniversary. Our toaster at work lasted two years and we threw it away. 606 is designed to last. It’s only now that people are beginning to face up to the fact that we have to change our ways.’
This commitment to sustainability is the cornerstone of the brand and the reason why customers remain so loyal.
‘People have asked us why we don’t do them in different shapes or in red but we are not interested in fashion but something that will last.’ Adams says.
