Brand & Designer

Cassina
Sgabelli Tabouret

Cassina

Cassina is a renowned Italian furniture manufacturer, founded in 1927 by Cesare and Umberto Cassina in Meda, Italy.
Gerrit Rietveld
Sedia Zig Zag

Gerrit Rietveld

A pioneering Dutch architect and designer whose radical furniture and architecture helped define the De Stijl movement and the foundations of modern design.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the historical significance of the 636 Elling Buffet?

Rietveld designed the Elling Buffet in 1919 as part of a De Stijl interior commission. The original was lost in a fire, and Rietveld himself oversaw its reconstruction for a 1951 exhibition - a rare act of authorial reaffirmation that underscores the piece's importance to his body of work.

How does the Elling Buffet relate to De Stijl and neoplasticism?

De Stijl, the Dutch movement cofounded by Theo van Doesburg and Piet Mondrian, sought to reduce visual form to horizontal and vertical lines and primary colors. Rietveld translated this neoplastic philosophy directly into three-dimensional furniture, making pieces like the Elling Buffet inseparable from the movement's architectural legacy.

Who produces the 636 Elling Buffet today, and how is it made?

Cassina produces the 636 Elling Buffet at its historic carpentry workshop in Meda, Italy, in collaboration with the Rietveld heirs. The construction follows Rietveld's original structural logic - a load-bearing grid of solid wood to which surfaces and storage elements are composed.

What collection does the Elling Buffet belong to?

The piece belongs to Cassina's I Maestri program, which reissues canonical works by twentieth-century masters - including Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand, and Gio Ponti - produced under license or in collaboration with the designers' estates.

Is the Cassina 636 Elling Buffet made to order?

Yes, the 636 Elling Buffet is produced to order, as is customary for Cassina's I Maestri reissues. Lead times vary; consulting a design professional or a design expert is recommended for project planning.