Defying the laws of physics, going beyond what we normally understand by the conditions of equilibrium, this bookcase is nothing short of a manifesto for Cassina’s design and construction capabilities. After a lengthy period of research and development, ably assisted by state-of-the-art technology, the company’s designers created a production prototype of the original 1940 piece that architect Franco Albini made as a one-off for his Milan home. Respecting the authentic underlying concept of the design, with its compelling experimental feel, as well as its surprisingly spare, linear looks, today’s model preserves the minimal ideal of the original: a feeling of air and light so that the books and objets seem to float free. Thus does Cassina restore to the contemporary world of design one of its most emblematic artefacts, a piece that has acquired the status of a work of art, as magical now as it was when it was first seen.