'New Italian Design', Domus, no. 432, November 1965, pp. 28, 31 Giuliana Gramigna, Repertorio 1950/1980, Milan, 1985, p. 224 Mateo Kries, Joe Colombo Inventing the Future, exh. cat., Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, 2005, p. 168, fig. 143 for a drawing, p. 169, fig. 146
Catalogue Essay
One of Joe Colombo’s first examples of freestanding furniture units, Personal Container, is an excellent representation of the architect’s intentions in redefining space according to a modern lifestyle. The variety of functions required for such complex living drove him to challenge the relationship between objects, which he systematically laid out in a self-contained space.
Personal Container includes its own electrical system which supports a lamp, a radio and a vinyl record player. The unit, which can be folded to facilitate transport or used as a screen, is also equipped with a pipe rack, an ashtray, a bookcase, a disc holder and a drinks cabinet.
Another example of the present model Personal Container is included in the permanent collection of the Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein.
circa 1965 Walnut-veneered wood, walnut, brushed aluminium, felt. Open: 180.8 x 217 x 76 cm (71 1/8 x 85 3/8 x 29 7/8 in.) Closed: 181 x 82.3 x 46.5 cm (71 1/4 x 32 3/8 x 18 1/4 in.) Manufactured by Arflex, Milan, Italy.