Attributed to the Pentagon Group

Attributed to PENTAGON GROUP (Cologne, Germany; active 1985–1991)
Bookshelf, 1980s.
Studio production, Germany.
Metal.
In good condition, with signs of wear consistent with its age.
Measurements: 202 × 115 × 55 cm.

The piece is formally and materially linked to the Pentagon Group, one of the leading representatives of the so-called Neues Deutsches Design. Emerging in West Germany in the 1980s, this movement challenged functionalism and the tradition of “good form,” reviving artisanal and experimental production using industrial materials such as raw steel, concrete, or found objects.

The highly vertical structure, the irregularly arranged curved shelves, and the deliberately austere finish transform the piece into a construction of an almost architectural nature. The piece highlights the weight, profiles, and joints of the metal, aligning with the collective’s conception of furniture as a sculptural object. Its status as a studio-produced piece, distinct from mass industrial production, reinforces its significance within the experimental German design of the decade.

The Pentagon Group was founded in Cologne in 1985 by Gerd Arens, Wolfgang Laubersheimer, Reinhard Müller, Ralph Sommer, and Meyer Voggenreiter. The collective became one of the leading forces in the radical renewal of German design, influenced by the Italian movements Memphis and Alchimia. In 2020, the Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln dedicated a monographic exhibition to the group.