Gispen 5600 bookcase unit Gispen Culemborg 1963

Nice large and complete bookcase or storage unit from the 5600 series designed by Andre Cordemeijer and manufactured by Gispen Culemborg, The Netherlands 1963. It’s a flexible system that you can customize as you like. You can take it apart easily because of a clever assembly system. It includes a copy of the original instructions on how to put it together. It’s in good condition, showing regular wear from its age, but it’s well-kept and clean.

This system was like a puzzle – it had parts you can switch around and stack. The cabinets came in different heights, and you could add shelves, writing surfaces, drawers, and cupboards on the vertical parts. It’s pretty flexible. You can also use it as a divider in a room. Back in the day, it came in lots of colours, making it look cheerful and modern. The company even suggested that it could match the style of a famous Mondrian painting. This 5600 system was an improved version of an older design from 1954. It’s easier to put together and had more parts and choices for how you could set it up.

Literature; Collectie Gispen NAI 1996, page 129