- Vitsœ
Infobox company
company_name = Vitsoe Limited
foundation = 1959
company_
company_type = Limited
location_city =London
location_country = UK
industry = Furniture and home interiors
homepage = [http://www.vitsoe.com/ www.vitsoe.com]Vitsœ (alternately, Vitsoe, pronounced Vit-sue) is an international modern-furniture company best known for the 606 Universal Shelving System designed by Dieter Rams in 1960 for Vitsœ.
Company history
Niels Wiese Vitsœ (1913-1995) was introduced to
Dieter Rams by fellow designerOtto Zapf . In 1959 they founded a company called Vitsœ+Zapf to manufacture Rams's furniture designs. Although Rams was working for Braun at the time, Erwin and Artur Braun decided to allow him to work on side projects.In 1970, the company was renamed 'Vitsœ' (formally called Wiese Vitsœ) when Otto Zapf left the company.
The Vitsœ moved to London in 1985. Since 1995, the company and all manufacturing have been based in England.
The company's
Frankfurt showroom is used for meetings of designers from around the world.606 Universal Shelving System
The company is known for its modular 606 Universal Shelving System, whose timeless design emphasizes functionality, and features clean lines. Although it has the appearance of built-in architectural details when installed, the system was designed to be movable, and requires very few tools for installation and dismantle.
The original 606 Universal Shelving System design was the 6th design created by the company in 1960, which is where the name originates.
The 606 Universal Shelving System has won multiple awards for design excellence, and is part of the collection of
Museum of Modern Art inNew York City .It has been manufactured continuously since introduction, and is available through [http://www.vitsoe.com/ Vitsœ] .
620 Chair Programme
One of Vitsœ's most revolutionary and award winning products was the 620 Chair Programme.
The 620 is a modular chair. Delivered from the factory in a kit of parts, which at the time was almost unheard of for any chair, much less a chair like the 620.
Because of modular construction, 620 can be converted from a low back to a high back chair by the owner. The legs of the 620 can be removed and replaced with casters, a combination of legs and casters, or a swivel base. The arms of the chair are removable, and if desired, additional chairs can be connected to form a sofa of any desired length. All of the chair's upholstery is removable and replaceable.
620 was discontinued for over thirty years, but Vitsœ resumed production of the chair in 2006.
The chair has been a part of the
Victoria and Albert Museum 's permanent collection since 1970. The 620 won the Rosenthal Studio Prize in 1966 and a Gold Medal at the International Furniture Exhibition inVienna in 1969.Out of production
601 chair
Vitsœ's first commercial success was the model 601 chair, now discontinued. A spartan chair consisting of a simple metal frame with a fabric, vinyl, or leather seat, the chair exemplified Dieter Rams's emphasis on minimalism combined with excellent function.
602 chair
610 wall panel system
621 side tables
622 dining chair
680 daybed
681 lounge chair
720 dining table
740 stacking programme
External links
* [http://www.vitsoe.com/ Vitsœ company website]
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