Adjustable shelves usually feature holes and pins, but with London-based industrial designer Alexandra Gerber's Up shelving system, "the shelves simply drop into a groove and lock in place with a quick release-lock," she writes. The shelves can then "be moved up and down at any time by releasing the lock, and without affecting the other shelves, and retain a smooth and parallel movement."
Both the shelves and sides are made from the same aluminum extrusions, while "the joints borrow technologies usually applied to window construction," according to this short Q&A with Gerber.
I'm curious to see how the wider shelves hold up; is the extrusion sturdy enough to not sag under heavy books?
You can see more of Gerber's work here.
I’m a lapsed industrial designer. I was born in NYC and figured I’d die there, but a few years ago I abandoned New York to live on a farm in the countryside with my wife. We have six dogs.
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Alexandra Gerber's Up Shelving System Features Sliding, Infinitely-Adjustable Metal Shelves
I think it is a very smart idea. :) I just wonder if the shelves might scratch the 2 sides when moved up and down under a slight angle...
I would have thought those shelves are pretty strong. The centre extrusion is effectively an I-beam, and the outer sections are triangulated. Also, the clamp to the vertical sections is rigid (I-beam to I-beam), so is capable of transmitting bending moments, so the shelf is much stiffer than a simple pin jointed one.