Wim Rietveld 663 bookcase by Gispen Culemborg 1954

Wim Rietveld

Netherlands 1924 – 1985
Industrial designer

The stunning and original industrial designed 663 bookcase, designed by Wim Rietveld and manufactured by Gispen Culemborg in The Netherlands in 1954, is a prime example of mid-century modern industrial design. This modular wall rack is crafted from gray painted sheet steel, allowing customers to customize their own wall unit using various components such as open beams, shelves, cover panels, and flaps. The standard module consists of two beams and five shelves, forming a simple yet versatile wall rack. This base could be expanded by adding additional modules side by side.

In addition to shelves, cabinets with forward-hinged folding doors could be installed. These folding doors, featuring round openings as handles, were available in various striking colors, adding a cheerful appearance to the unit. This piece of furniture won Wim Rietveld the Diploma d’Onore, the highest award at the 10th Triennial in Milan in 1954, where it was first showcased. The bookcase being described here is a complete unit with five different colored closed compartments in red, blue, black, green, and yellow. It remains in original condition, showing normal signs of wear and usage consistent with its age but given its age it is still in good condition, the wear is surely age related.

Wim Rietveld, the eldest son of minimalist architect and designer Gerrit Rietveld—a prominent member of the De Stijl movement alongside Piet Mondrian, Theo van Doesburg, and others—carried forward his father’s visionary approach. Alongside Friso Kramer, Wim Rietveld was one of the most significant industrial designers of his era. His work is notable for its reduction to basic cubist elements and the use of primary colors to highlight different planes. Most of his furniture was designed for mass production, catering to the relatively small Dutch market of the time.

Literature; Collectie Gispen Barbara Laan Andre Koch 1996 Nai uitgevers, page 120-130
Wim Rietveld Industrieel ontwerper, Ed van Hinte 010 uitgeverij, page 77
Gispen, WBooks, page 113/117.