Square, cube, rectangle. From the aspect of pure form alone, Quinta represented the kind of antithesis to cosy romanticizing imitation that was perfectly in step with the times. The 1950s brought proof that the visual language of the new objectivity could also be realized in the soft material of upholstery. The historic references are impossible to overlook. What had begun around 1955 in the field of industrial design and in particular in the collaboration of the Braun company and the Ulm Academy of Design now arrived in living rooms everywhere. The direction dictated by pioneers like Hans Gugelot and Herbert Hirche was expanded here into an entire program. Quinta was the first upholstery scheme to follow the lead of the modular cabinet units. The seating group consisted of five elements – hence the name “Quinta” – and allowed for a completely new, flexible style of furnishing. Easychair, sofa, folding lounge chair, table and cabinet were supplied in various matching variations. The chairs came either with or without armrests. Just like the pictures on the wall that once stayed in place “forever”, furniture up to this point had consisted of heavy, quasi “immovable” objects. Now this established order was gradually dissolved. Whether in an I-, L- or U-shapedpattern, the seating elements could be grouped differently at will and moved again anytime. A systematic concept and light weight were the features distinguishing this group both from contemporary furniture and from historic predecessors.