USM Haller Highboard XL with 3 Glass Doors

The Design

In 1961 the Swiss architect Fritz Haller built new production and administrative buildings for the company USM, and two years later developed the complimenting office furniture for the administrative buildings: the USM furniture system was born. Although originally only intended for internal use, USM Haller's system quickly gained popularity beyond the company's boundaries and in 1969 the first order was placed by Rothschild Bank in Paris: from then on the USM Haller sideboards were produced in series. The shelf system is designed in such a way that they always remain responsive and flexible, thus, USM Haller units can be adapted to the changing requirements and appropriately rebuilt. The configurable USM Highboard XL has nine compartments and can be equipped with drop-down and/or extension doors. With a depth of 35 cm, the compartments are ideal for storing folders.

Production

The production of USM Haller furniture occurs at the company's headquarters in Münsingen, Switzerland. The metal tubes for the furniture structure, the chromium plated connectors and the metal or glass cladding are manufactured there. The metal shelves are lacquered in 15 colours using a special environmentally compatible powder coating process. Orders for the German market are constructed at the company's plant in Bühl, or directly at the dealer or end customer. Ecological sustainability is not only an important part of USM Haller's production process, but is also integral in the product: the system is crafted from high-quality, highly durable materials and can also be adapted to the changing requirements and does not have to be replaced when your situation changes, both of which extend the life-cycle of the system and thus save resources.

Assembling a USM unit

Manufacturer

The company USM was founded in 1885 as an iron processing and locksmith business by Ulrich Schärer in the Swiss town of Münsingen, near Bern. In the 1920s the company started producing window fixtures followed by the post-war introduction of general metal and sheet metal processing. With the development of the modular furniture system and the instigation of its serial production in 1969 begins both the history of the contemporary company USM and also that of USM Haller as an endearing global design classic to be found in innumerate offices and homes. Over the past decades, the company has developed into one of the largest internationally renowned furniture manufacturers and today USM maintains flagship stores from Paris via Tokyo to New York and distributes its shelving system in more than 40 countries.

USM Haller Highboard XL mit Klappen und offenen Fächern

Designer

Eponym and designer of the USM Haller Highboard is Fritz Haller. Born in Solothurn in 1924, Haller trained as an architect, in the course of his career developed numerous important projects and also served as an architecture professor, whereby his modular furniture design is one of his greatest successes. For his USM Tables, USM Sideboards and USM Haller Mobile Pedestals, Fritz Haller received numerous prizes, while his furniture system is also included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art New York. The design of the USM Haller furniture system is directly influenced by Haller's building designs, the modular design of the furniture being reflected in the three building systems: USM Haller Mini for residential buildings and offices, USM Haller Midi for commercial buildings and USM Haller Maxi for industrial buildings.

The modular design of Fritz Haller's shelving system is also reflected in the USM company building.

Historical Context

Fritz Haller designed the USM Haller modular furniture system in the sense of functionalism, which determined architecture and design in Europe during the post-war period. The quotation "Form follows function", which was already expressed at the end of the 19th century and became popular in the 1920s, is closely linked to this movement. With the USM Haller system, this principle is expressed par excellence: with the modular system, suitable solutions can be designed for individual applications by means of individual furniture constructions. The clear, minimalistic form also arises from the focus on functionality during the design process, and allows the system to appear timeless and beautiful in its reduction. Since the 1960s, USM Haller has proved itself as a modern and stylish furnishing system for offices and is now increasingly used as an elegant multifunctional furniture in the living area.

USM modular furniture system