Tjerk Reijenga and Pilastro

Tjerk Reijenga and Pilastro
Tjerk Reijenga (1928-2009) is among the leading figures of post-war modernist design in the Netherlands. From the 1950s, he developed a series of modular systems for Pilastro that became iconic 20th-century furniture. His creations combine functionality, visual lightness, and compositional freedom, responding to a new way of living where furniture must be able to evolve with its user’s needs.

The systems designed by Tjerk Reijenga for Pilastro appear either as a wall-mounted bookcase composed of several wall shelves, or as an independent wall shelf or a freestanding model that can serve as a room divider. This modularity allows for the free composition of a storage unit adapted to any interior while maintaining a light and architectural aesthetic.

Founded in the Netherlands in the post-war era, Pilastro specialized in the manufacture of modern metal furniture. The company distinguished itself by using black lacquered steel combined with contrasting colored elements, a visual signature that became characteristic of many Pilastro productions. Even today, the brand’s productions are among the major references in Dutch design from the 1950s and 1960s.

Pilastro holds a comparable position in the Netherlands to that of architects Kasja and Nisse Strinning for String in Sweden or Poul Cadovius’s Royal System in Denmark. Like these systems, which have become classics of Scandinavian furniture, Tjerk Reijenga’s creations prioritize modularity, flexibility, and the harmonious integration of storage furniture into interior architecture.