Most books require little more than a shelf and a willing reader. That doesn’t stand true in the case of Taschen, one of the world’s best-known art and design publishers, founded in 1980 by Benedikt Taschen in Cologne, Germany. Taschen’s monumental collector’s editions need a piece of specially engineered furniture, and coming to the rescue is acclaimed designer Marc Newson. The celebrated designer has put his creative stamp on everything from the Apple Watch to the 460-feet superyacht Solaris. He has collaborated with Taschen to design a 14 kg stand simply called the Bookstand, ensuring that Taschen’s heavyweight volumes finally have an appropriately sturdy place to rest.
According to Wallpaper, the creation may appear relatively simple at first glance, but it is constructed from acrylic glass, aluminium and steel, and supported by three sturdy tripod legs. Although the legs look sleek and elegant, they are robust enough to accommodate Taschen’s Collector’s Edition portfolio of oversized books covering art, design, photography, fashion and architecture. This includes the publisher’s flagship SUMO and XXL editions, which are intentionally oversized, some weigh as much as 35 kg, and designed to function as statement pieces rather than conventional books. The Bookstand does more than simply display them. It also makes the enormous volumes easier to read and adjust using a bright red aluminium knob. Its forged-aluminium tripod head is topped with a thick slab of transparent acrylic glass, carefully bent to hold even the weightiest tome securely in place.
Whether it is David Hockney: A Bigger Book, priced at $5,500 and weighing around 35 kg, or another of Taschen’s extravagant collector’s editions, the Bookstand provides an appropriately sculptural resting place for these publishing masterpieces. Amusingly, the stand even comes with white gloves to protect the acrylic surface while it is being assembled and handled along with a set of slightly contradicting instructions.
Taschen advises owners not to leave valuable books open on the stand for extended periods, noting that they are best preserved flat and closed. Measuring 78 x 90 x 48 cm and priced at $1,750, the elegant tripod Bookstand brings another level of distinction to Taschen’s already extravagant Collector’s Editions.
