String Celebrates its 75th Anniversary
Designed by Nisse and Kajsa Strinning, the iconic String shelf won its first design award in 1949. To celebrate its 75th anniversary, String is now presenting a limited anniversary edition of the shelf, in the same design as the very first shelf.
String Pocket - The Story
At the end of the 1940s, a lot of books were sold in Sweden. Swedish homes were overflowing with books, so the question naturally arose: where to put them? Bonniers Folkbibliotek, one of Sweden's largest publishers, decided to organise a design competition in the spring of 1949. The aim was to find a new type of bookcase that would be affordable, wall-mountable, expandable and able to hold at least two metres of books.
Nisse and Kajsa's String shelf won first place in the Bonniers design competition, against hundreds of entries from all over Europe, the United States and even Australia.
After the competition, the shelf quickly became a popular feature in countless Swedish homes - and soon in the rest of the world.
Thanks to its elegant simplicity and ingenious construction, the shelf has undoubtedly earned its place in design history. Based on three simple elements – the shelves, wall panel and shelf bracket - the String shelf can be combined in an infinite number of configurations.
The original drawing
Kajsa Strinning. Architect, designer and co-creator
The 75th Anniversary Limited Edition
The anniversary limited edition pays homage to the original version that made the String shelf into the design icon it is today. It features the same blue wall panels and white oiled pine shelves as the original 1949 model - and is also, appropriately, limited to just 1949 pieces. Even the dimensions and construction are identical, a testament to the timelessness and durability of Kajsa and Nisse's design.
"It's incredibly rare to find a design that has remained true to its original form and philosophy for 75 years, but still feels both relevant and modern today. We are fortunate to work with a product like String, which has been part of people's homes and lives all over the world for generations,"
- Bo Hellberg, CMO at String Furniture.
String Through The Years
1949: Nisse and Kajsa Strinning's contribution to Bonnier's bookshelf competition is selected as the winner among 194 contest entries
1952: String® shelves are ordered to decorate the newly built UN headquarters in NYC
1953: String® Plex is launched
1954: String® is awarded the gold medal at the Milan Triennale
1955: String® is exhibited at the H55 in Helsingborg. The exhibition was the start of the modernistic and functional Swedish design movement
1961: Several plagiarists are sued, The Swedish Supreme Court judges in Strings favour and the design becomes patented
1979: String® becomes part of the Swedish Nationalmuseum's permanent collection
1999: Nisse Strinning is awarded The Classic Prize and receives the award Excellent Swedish Design
2004: String Furniture AB is founded with emphasis on environment, quality and social responsibility. String® system is relaunched.
2005: String® Pocket is launched and first shown at Form and Design Centre in Malmö
2009: String® is classified as Applied Art according to the Copyright Act
2010: The design connoisseur and journalist Rebecka Tarschy is publishing her book ”String Pocket”
2014: The collaboration with Anna von Schewen and Björn Dahlström results in a brand-new concept with office furniture: Works
2016: Works wins the German Design Award
2017: String® shelving system is honoured with a stamp by the Swedish Postal Service
2018: A new assortment with galvanized products, suitable for outdoor use, is launched and is named String® Outdoor
2019: String® turns 70 years and celebrates by letting Mats Theselius design a limited edition of String® Pocket. The shelves are made of glass and the panels are shiny in a green-blue shade to match the edges of the glass shelves. The shelf is produced in 2019 copies.
2019: The Swedish Nationalmuseum opens after several years of renovations. TAF architect studio, Gabriella Lenke and Mattias Ståhlbom, designs a console shelf Museum NM&.045 for the museums bust collection and String Furniture produces it. Museum is born and becomes part of String Furnitures product portfolio.
2020: String Furniture is awarded “Furniture Supplier of the Year”
2020: Winner Long Life Design Award - The Good Design Award is the largest Asian award, founded in 1957, and reflects Japanese design values and principles that aim to enrich lives, industries, and society.
2024: String celebrates 75 years and launches a limited edition anniversary shelf, in the same design as Nisse and Kajsa Strinning's entry to the Bonnier bookshelf competition.
String Pocket. A beginning of something great.
String Pocket is the small, light and handy little one. W60/d15/h50 cm. It‘s sold as a complete unit of two panels
and three shelves. Combine them in a number of ways.
For example, with two units you can build up to three
sections with two shelves each. The metal version adds new possibilities. Its shelves are thin and strong since
the edges are folded. Also, they are perforated and ideal for adding accessories like hooks, rods and more.
White
Grey
Black stained ash/black
Ash/White
Oak/White
Walnut/black
Sage
Green
Purple
Fuchsia metal
Blue metal
White metal
String Furniture is a leading Scandinavian design company that collaborates with several award-winning designers, including TAF Studio, Anna von Schewen, Björn Dahlström and Mats Theselius. All products in the range are highly durable thanks to timeless design, quality materials and manufacturing. More than 95% of our furniture is made in Sweden, using renewable, recyclable or recycled materials.
