Egle Amaldi’s bookshelf & modernist Cado shelving
These staggered, airy midcentury modern arrangements are so much less chichi than the many fancified contemporary bookshelves we see around. For some reason we love this simple, balanced living room belonging to Italian architect Egle Amaldi in the 1960s. The bookshelf – its shape and the way it spans the whole width – is probably the key to the room. It is somewhat reminiscent of Cado shelving, named after Danish designer Poul Cadovius, even though its shelves are longer and it’s missing the characteristic cabinets and other boxy components. (See an excellent example at kitkadesign and below.) Its verticals are visually interesting and objects look particularly good on the syncopated horizontal levels. How hard would this be to DIY? Probably not that hard. More photos of this type of bookcase in the book “The Modern Room” which also features work by Amaldi. People say that the contemporary versions of these are RAKKS and ISS, but we like the simplicity of the one above. Some DIY ideas for Cado shelving and “pole” shelving (where the supports are poles fixed to ceiling and floor, rather than wall-mounted) can be found on the Pole Shelving blog. If you’re in Vancouver, there are a couple of Cado-style units at the moment at Fabulous Finds.
Below, more classic Cado shelving from Flickr.
Tags: 1960s, 60s, bookcase, books, bookshelf, bookshelves, Cado Royal System, Cado shelves, Cado shelving, Cado unit, Danish, decor, design, DIY, Egle Amaldi, furniture design, interior design, modern design, nostalgia, Poul Cadovius, shelving, storage, Vancouver
January 17th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
[...] « Egle Amaldi’s bookshelf & modernist Cado shelving [...]
January 20th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
I love those shelving units! Every now and then some of them will be listed on our site. You should have a look through the ad listings for yourself!
http://www.lushpad.com
February 23rd, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Thanks for the link to our site! It’s funny because we came across your site thanks to my mom, who was researching about her Cado wall unit. She just sent me the link yesterday. Nice site by the way!
April 20th, 2009 at 8:44 am
[...] Design says on their blog that mid-century Italian architect Egle Amaldi’s “staggered, airy midcentury modern [...]
October 1st, 2009 at 7:43 am
I need to purchase some parts and maybe another unit for my Cado System, which is free standing.
How may I obtain a catalog?
December 2nd, 2009 at 12:16 pm
I am looking for replacement hardware. A triangular three pronged metal bracket for the shelf to connect to the post. Any leads on where I can find this?
December 2nd, 2009 at 12:20 pm
I am looking for replacement hardware. A triangular three pronged metal bracket for the shelf to connect to the post. Any leads on where I can find this? Thank you
December 2nd, 2009 at 3:50 pm
Sorry, I have no idea! But if readers of this post do, please let Kathryn know here!
January 30th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Replacement parts to the Cado system are difficult to find but I periodically do a GOOGLE search and try to bid on items on Ebay. My Cado system is a free-standing unit in teak with 4 poles, two cabinets and several shelves. I am always looking for new pieces to add, especially rare pieces like the folding desk, or glass front cabinets.
I have a rare brass cabinet key that I would be glad to make a duplicate from. Email me if you have pieces to sell or need a key. CTDave4@aol.com