Modular chrome-plated steel trolley – Max Sauze

Modular rolling trolley in chrome-plated steel and smoked glass, Isocèle series, designed by Max Sauze circa 1970.

• Small module W 60 CM x D 40 CM x H 60 CM.
• Extended: W 116 CM x D 40 CM x H 45 CM.
• Glass plates W 55 CM x D 37 CM.
• H between the top and middle plates 29 CM.
• H between the middle and bottom plates 19 CM.
• Two oxidation marks on the uprights

The Isocèle series by Max Sauze

The Isocèle series appeared in the early 1970s, a period when Max Sauze gradually moved away from purely anodized aluminum structures, as seen in his famous Cassiopée pendant lamp, to develop furniture combining metal profiles and smoked glass tops.

The name Isocèle refers to the isosceles triangle, a geometric shape that serves as the basis for many compositions in the series. The bases are constructed from repeated triangular modules, creating an architectural effect that is both light and rigorous.

On this trolley, the isosceles triangle is not directly drawn, unlike other elements in the same series. Instead, it is part of the surfaces suggested by the lines of the piece, in the balance between the uprights, the tops, and the visual diagonals. This more discreet approach gives the composition great clarity while preserving the geometric principle that characterizes the collection.

With its taste for exposed structures and geometric compositions, the Isocèle series is part of the research accompanying the emergence of the 1970s high-tech aesthetic, illustrated notably by designers such as Maria Pergay or, later, Norman Foster. Max Sauze, however, developed his own approach, centered on furniture and the use of metal profiles assembled in repetitive modules.

The collection includes coffee tables, consoles, trolleys, shelves, and storage units based on this same modular principle. Among these various versions, the trolley is one of the less common models. This particular piece also has the advantage of having retained its original blue-grey smoked glass tops and its bottle rack, two elements often missing or replaced on pieces that have survived to this day.