Civitas bookcase: a modular interlocking system enabling various configurations
Designed with longevity in mind, the new Civitas bookcase designed by Giulio Iacchetti aims to minimize its environmental impact during the product’s end-of-life phase
Civitas bookcase‘s components are easily disassembled, disposable, and recyclable. Aluminum, renowned for its lightweight nature, durability, and high recyclability, takes center stage as a crucial material for this project.
The collaboration between the Italian company Midj and the designer, Giulio Iacchetti, remains consistent, focusing on simplicity and the enhancement of fundamental geometric shapes. It is with this vision that the Civitas bookcase was conceived as the initial proposal for a larger project encompassing an entire day system.
The defining characteristic of this design lies in its rationalization of space and its emphasis on the concept of the straight line as a unifying element capable of creating order across all scales. Drawing inspiration from urban planning history, particularly the intersections of ancient Greek and Roman cities, the archetype of the cross serves as a symbolic meeting point between floors and orthogonal paths.
“The name Civitas is a metaphor for the city that neatly grows on the matrix of the Roman encampment. Like the city, the bookcase too can grow and transform itself, both vertically and horizontally. It’s nice to design a system that has the potential to become what we still don’t imagine today, but potentially we know that all this will be possible. I imagine Civitas as an open system which in the future will implement doors, drawers, closed and open parts, and which will be able to launch different product families.” explains Giulio Iacchetti.
The Civitas bookcase features a cross-profile made of extruded aluminum as the connecting element between shelves and columns. In the gold version, it stands out as a prominent feature, while in the monochrome variant, it blends harmoniously with the rest of the structure. This solution not only enhances the visual appeal but also ensures a clean and straightforward assembly process, eliminating the need for complex systems.
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The focus of the design centers around a modular interlocking system, enabling various configurations and personalized adaptations. The modules are available in two different widths and can be constructed using aluminum or lacquered MDF in a range of colors. The back of the wall bookcase includes elements for reinforcement, ensuring maximum stability.
Civitas originated within Midj’s Officina delle idee, a new R&D department launched in July 2022. Serving as an internal hub dedicated to creation, experimentation, and prototyping, it fosters an environment for exchange and collaboration between the company and the creative minds associated with it. Designers like Giulio Iacchetti have also embraced sustainability for this product.
