SCHUBLADENSTAPEL BY SUSI & UELI BERGER FOR RÖTHLISBERGER (SWISS)

“I still have a suitcase in Berlin” (Ich hab noch einen Koffer in Berlin) sang Marlene Dietrich in a poignant expression of nostalgia for a lost homeland. Akin to the metaphor for Dietrich’s cherished memories, this classic storage piece, Stack of Drawers, designed in 1982 by SUSI & UELI BERGER, was inspired by the sight of piled-up suitcases from a time when traveling was still something exclusive. And in the way each suitcase has a story to tell, every Stack of Drawers is unique, a one-of-a-kind: with its own grain, its own idiosyncratic veneer. Seven differently sized drawers with black interiors and spherical handles of black thermosetting resin. A classic of modern Swiss design.

SUSI & UELI BERGER (1938–2019; 1937–2008) worked collaboratively and on their own to create a multifaceted artistic and design oeuvre that spans graphic design, painting, sculpture, as well as unique furniture pieces that have attained the status of classics. Susi Berger-Wyss was born as Susy Wyss in Lucerne and trained as a graphic artist in Bern. The sculptor, painter, draughtsman, and designer Ueli Berger was born in Bern and completed internships with various architects, including interior designer Hans Eichenberger (1926—2024). He received the Federal Fellowship for Applied Art three times between 1961 and 1971. In 1962, Susi and Ueli Berger married, and the pair began cooperating professionally.

Inspired by a wish to bring their unusual ideas to life, between the 1960s and 1990s, they created extremely inventive and yet always functional furniture, much of which has gone down in the history of Swiss design. With irony, imagination, and a considerable flair for materials and forms, they designed objects like the Soft Chair for Victoria-Werke (1967), the Wolkenlampe (cloud lamp) for WB Engros (1970), and the Schubladenstapel (stack-of-drawers) storage system for RÖTHLISBERGER (1982). These design classics are still in production today, while the originals are in great demand among cognoscenti. They worked together for almost four decades in many areas of design and art. Their work has been exhibited internationally, including in the Museum of Design in Zurich, the Mobilier Suisse in the Center Pompidou, Paris, and the Kunstmuseum Düsseldorf. The duo was awarded the Swiss Grand Award for Design 2010 for their life’s work.

RÖTHLISBERGER was founded in 1928 in the village of Gümligen, just outside Bern, Switzerland. Established as a joinery by Gottfried Soltermann (1887—1932) a few years before his death, the workshop originally focused on a wide range of carpentry services. The marriage of daughter Leni Soltermann to Ernst Röthlisberger in 1950, along with Röthlisberger’s formal induction into the business, were harbingers of expansion and a transition toward furniture manufacturing and interior fit-outs. Considerable experience was gained creating pieces for the American brand Knoll International. This pivotal era presaged RÖTHLISBERGER’s immersion into the realm of international design and specialized retailers.

The idea for an in-house collection soon took root. In 1977, the first pieces of the independent Röthlisberger Kollektion were developed under the direction of the young cabinetmaker Peter Röthlisberger, founder Soltermann’s grandson. An initial generation of collaborators included such design notables as Hans Eichenberger (1926—2024), Susi and Ueli Berger (1938—2019; 1937—2008), Trix and Robert Haussmann (1933—2021; 1931—2021), Teo Jakob (1923—2000), and Koni Ochsner (1933—1995). Peter Röthlisberger officially joined the family business in 1981 and began establishing the company’s international reputation.

The company moved its headquarters to a new, wooden building in Gümligen in 2003. It was custom-designed in collaboration with the Haussmanns and houses workshops, administration, and a showroom. Since 2017, RÖTHLISBERGER has been run by a fourth generation, Peter’s sons Beat, Jan, and Mark, who oversee both the interior design division and the furniture collection. The former joinery now boasts an in-house engineering division and a cutting-edge machine park that can be reconfigured to accommodate projects. In addition to working with various woods, it also employs metals, glass, stone, and other materials in its designs.

RÖTHLISBERGER is renowned for its emphasis on quality of materials and their processing, and the functionality and expressiveness of the ideas of its designers. An aversion to the subordination of these ideas to technical limitations or lack of know-how allows for the production of furniture that cannot be made industrially. Creative inquisitiveness, in the search for ever better production solutions, is coupled with the desire to realise each design in the best possible way.

DETAILS

Designer – SUSI & UELI BERGER

Design Period/Year – 1982

Maker – RÖTHLISBERGER

Production Period/Year – PERIOD

Origin – SWITZERLAND

Styles/Movements – STYLES

Materials – MATERIALS

Colors – COLORS

Condition – Excellent vintage condition. May show minor signs of previous ownership and use.

Dimensions – 0 0" W × 0 0" D × 0 0" H