Nisse Strinning – simplicity perfected
Nisse Strinning is one of the defining figures of 20th-century Swedish design. Born in 1917 in Kramfors in Sweden, the architect and designer became known above all for the String shelving system, which he developed together with his wife Kajsa Strinning. His designs follow a clear principle: function, simple construction and a pared-back design language go hand in hand.
From architecture studies to product design
From 1940 to 1947, Nisse Strinning studied architecture at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden. Even as a student, he was deeply interested in functional everyday objects. Together with Kajsa Strinning, he developed a dish rack made of plastic-coated steel wire, which was later produced by Elfa.
This lightweight wire construction was to become the starting point for Strinning's most famous design. Instead of creating solid structures, he relied on slender elements that used little material and were easy to produce industrially.
Nisse and Kajsa Strinning develop the String shelf
In 1949, the Swedish publisher Bonniers Folkbibliotek launched a competition for a new bookshelf. It was looking for a solution that was affordable, easy to transport, simple to assemble and flexible to extend.
Nisse and Kajsa Strinning applied the principle of their wire constructions to a modular shelving system and won the competition with their design. The String shelf was born. Its characteristic steel-wire side panels are combined with shelves and various functional elements, so the system can be put together individually and extended at any time.
The design quickly became an international success. In 1954, String won a gold medal at the Triennale in Milan, Italy, and today it is one of the best-known classics of Scandinavian design.
String Design and the development of the shelving system
In the 1950s, String Design AB and Swedish Design AB were set up to organise the production and marketing of the successful system. Over many years, Nisse and Kajsa Strinning continued to develop the concept, adding different shelves, cabinets and other elements.
What makes the String system special to this day is its adaptability. Just a few basic elements can be used to put together small wall shelves as well as extensive storage solutions and workspaces. The slender side panels give even larger combinations a light, graphic look.
String Pocket – Nisse Strinning's last design
Decades after the original String system, Nisse Strinning was still working on developing his idea. In 2005, String Furniture launched the String Pocket. This compact wall shelf became his last design.
With its pared-back construction, String Pocket takes up the characteristic features of the original system and translates them into a smaller format. Nisse Strinning kept working until shortly before his death. He died in 2006 at the age of 88.
Nisse Strinning's approach to design
For Nisse Strinning, design was above all about solving everyday challenges. His designs were meant to be functional, straightforward and as flexible as possible. It is precisely this focus on the essentials that shapes the aesthetics of his work.
The String system he developed with Kajsa Strinning expresses this approach particularly clearly. Its combination of functional construction, minimal use of material and great adaptability made the design a classic whose core idea is still relevant more than 75 years after it was created.
