LEMA – Plain modular bookcase

Free-standing modular bookcase with metal structure, free-time.
The architectural approach behind Plain belies a creative idea centred around fluidity and lightness. This freestanding bookcase includes many of the design features synonymous with Lema, not least modularity and customisation in terms of both composition and finishes. The sleek structure in lacquered metal with square cross-sections accommodates the shelves, which are available in different lengths and thicknesses. Arranged in a seemingly random order within a structure that almost blends into its surroundings, the shelves create compartments for storing books and objects of varying heights, bringing an attractive sense of dynamism to the wall.

Francesco Rota

Francesco Rota, interior and product designer, born in 1966 in Milan where he lives and works. He graduated in product design at Art Center College of Design in 1994, La Tour de Peilz (Switzerland), and in 1988 he opened his own studio and worked in several fields of design: product, furniture, lighting, showrooms, offices, residential interiors and events.

International collaborations: Alchemy, Arketipo, Bals Tokyo, Barilla, Driade, Fiat, Frag, John Richmond, Knoll International, KME Italy, Lapalma, Lema, Living Divani, L'Oreal Paris, Malo, Martini & Rossi, Mercedes Benz, Moroso, Paola Lenti, Oluce, Takano Co.Ltd, Versus.

Francesco Rota has been awarded with two Menzioni d'Onore for the Compasso d’Oro with  ‘Linea’ and ‘Island’, which are today in the Historical Collection of the ADI Compasso d’Oro Award.

His works have been exhibited at well-known museums and at international exhibitions and events as Biennale di Architettura e Mostra del Cinema di Venezia, Triennale di Milano, Royal Academy of Arts a Londra, Miami Design Distrisct, Material Connection a New York.

Since May 2004 he has been teaching in the Master Research Study Program in Industrial Design at the Istituto Europeo of Design.   He has frequently collaborated with Lema since 2011. 

Over the years he has collaborated with a number of widely recognised brands such as Driade, Knoll, Lapalma, Lema, Living Divani, Moroso, Paola Lenti, Oluce, Versus.

LEMA

Pioneers in Italy in integrated furniture systems

In the early ’70s, Lema was the first Italian company to design and produce integrated furniture systems, managing the entire production cycle internally, from the search for raw materials, to processing, right up to the finished product. An industrial reality with roots dating back to the 1930s, when Angelo Meroni opened a craft workshop in Arosio, specializing in the production of classic furniture. The group's initial development would pass through several collaborations with the Milanese artistic context, thanks to partnerships with various designers and architects including one with Angelo Mangiarotti, one of the most relevant designers and urban planners not only in Italy, but also with regard to the United States.

Today, the Italian company boasts in the heart of Brianza, a covered industrial production plant of 55,000 square metres, divided between the two plants, one in Alzate Brianza (CO) and one in Giussano (MB), designed by Arch. Angelo Mangiarotti with over 250 employees, and a network of approximately 1,000 resellers distributed in 65 countries around the world.

In 2004 the Lema Contract , the division specialising in large scale projects, was launched. From multi-apartment complexes to retail via hotels and corporate spaces, Lema offers custom-made solutions for the most prestigious projects in the world.

For over thirty years LEMA has been providing hospitality solutions to the UK, which has always been a key market. For this reason, LEMA UK Ltd was established in 2012, an offshoot of LEMA Spa, which has helped us forge a reputation of excellent service for both home and contract divisions. In 2015 the Flagship Store was inaugurated in the heart of Chelsea on the King’s Road, serving as a window into the world of LEMA. Today, LEMA is one of the major Made in Italy players in contract, hospitality and retail where it has built a reputation for quality, efficiency and innovative solutions.

In 2022, LEMA inaugurated a brand new spacious corporate office in Sydney Street, a few steps away from the Flagship Store, further increasing its presence in this important market.