606 Universal Shelving System

Overview

The 606 Universal Shelving System is a modular kit of parts designed by Dieter Rams in 1960 and made by Vitsœ ever since. Shelves, cabinets, desks and tables hang from aluminium E-Tracks, so a system can start as a single shelf and grow into an entire library, then be rearranged, moved to a new home or handed on.

Construction

At the core is the anodised aluminium E-Track. Components hang from it with a pin – no tools needed – and metal shelves can be hung upright, upside-down or rotated vertically as a magnetic pinboard. Metal shelves are epoxy-polyester powder-coated laser-cut steel; cabinets are off-white, black, silver or beech-veneered with natural anodised aluminium end plates. Four structures are offered: wall mounted, semi-wall mounted (E-Tracks on X-Posts), compressed floor-to-ceiling, and free-standing on H-Posts (max. 191.5 cm).

Specifications

• Bay widths: narrow 66.7 cm centre-to-centre (65.5 cm usable shelf) and wide 91.2 cm (90 cm usable shelf)
• Shelf depths: 16, 22, 30 and 36 cm; cabinets are 36 cm deep
• E-Track heights: 57, 114, 171 and 200 cm (plus 11 cm and 39.5 cm short tracks); X-Posts up to 350 cm
• Integrated table depths 80, 120 and 160 cm, height 74 cm
• Colours: off-white, black, silver and beech, in six colour combinations

A system, not a piece of furniture

Vitsœ's page says Rams created 606 for Vitsœ in 1960 at the age of 28. The shelving is a kit of parts that hangs from aluminium E-Tracks, so a system can be extended or rearranged as needs change. Vitsœ notes that many respected commentators regard it as a design classic.

Built to last

Vitsœ calls 606 obsolescence-resistant: built to last and to be repaired. It limits the system to four colours so that parts added after many years still match, and the shelving has been in continuous production since 1960.