Franco Albini Wall Bookcase

Italy, circa 1957
Manufacturer: Poggi
Designer: Franco Albini

Rare LB7 wall-mounted bookcase in a single-column configuration, designed by Franco Albini and produced by Poggi in the 1950s.

This example features one vertical bay with adjustable shelves and an integrated fold-down secretary desk, mounted on Albini’s iconic floor-to-ceiling adjustable jack system, allowing installation without wall fixation.

The light architectural structure, the clarity of the construction system, and the rigorous balance between function and form make this LB7 an emblematic work of post-war Italian modernism. The integrated secretary offers both domestic and professional use while preserving a restrained and elegant formal language.

This single-column configuration, less common than multi-bay compositions, is particularly well suited to contemporary interiors with more limited space, while retaining the sculptural and intellectual presence of Albini’s original design.

• Designer: Franco Albini (1905–1977)

• Model: LB7 – single column with secretary desk

• Manufacturer: Poggi

• Origin: Italy

• Period: circa 1957

• Typology: modular wall-mounted bookcase with adjustable jack system

• Materials: veneered wood, metal elements, adjustable pressure mechanism

• Composition:

  • 1 vertical column

  • adjustable shelves

  • 1 fold-down secretary desk

(LB7 single-column standard configuration, documented)

• Height: adjustable, approximately 240 to 290 cm

• Width: approximately 82 cm

• Shelf depth: approximately 36 cm

• Depth with secretary open: approximately 55 cm

Dimensions are given for reference and correspond to the standard LB7 configuration.

Good overall condition.
Minor signs of wear and patina consistent with age and use.
Stable structure with a fully functional jack mechanism.