If his famed cousin and longtime colleague Charles-Édouard Jeanneret — better known as Le Corbusier — was the visionary, then Pierre Jeanneret was the member of the architecture and design team who got things done. In recent years, Jeanneret has emerged from Le Corbusier’s shadow, as collectors have discovered his simple and striking chairs, benches, coffee tables and other furniture creations.
Jeanneret studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Geneva and after he graduated in 1921 he became a partner in Le Corbusier’s office in Paris. The pair collaborated on numerous residential projects, most notably the Villa Savoye, the iconic modernist house in suburban Paris completed in 1931.
Jeanneret also worked with the great Charlotte Perriand on the Grand Modele line of tubular metal furnishings that was a sensation at the annual Salon d’Automne design expo in 1929. A rift developed between Jeanneret and his cousin during World War II, as the former joined the French resistance, while Le Corbusier cooperated with the occupying authorities in Vichy. The two did not work together again until 1950, when Le Corbusier persuaded Jeanneret to help execute the master plan for the new city of Chandigarh in Punjab, India. Jeanneret lived and worked there until the final years of his life.
A hallmark of Jeanneret’s furniture designs is his great sensitivity to materials. In contrast to the tubular-steel chairs produced by Marcel Breuer and other members of the Bauhaus, the chromed metal pieces designed by Jeanneret and Perriand — including such as the now-classic LC4 chaise longue and the Grand Confort lounge chair — have a sensuous, relaxed and welcoming look. Conversely, while Jeanneret uses essentially geometric forms for his wooden seating pieces, they exude warmth by nature of the material.
One of Jeanneret’s first manufactured designs in wood is the Model 92 Scissors chair, licensed by Hans and Florence Knoll when they were touring postwar France. But Jeanneret’s finest work in furniture was done in Chandigarh, and these are the pieces that have earned him recent renown.
Crafted of teak, the Chandigarh designs range from low-slung lounge chairs and armchairs with cane seats to desks and tables, most with Jeanneret’s signature drafting compass-shaped legs. Many such pieces on the market today are refurbished, having been found by dealers languishing in scrapyards in India in the late 1990s. Chandigarh is now taking better care of its modernist heritage, making available Jeanneret works all the rarer.
Find authentic vintage Pierre Jeanneret chairs, case pieces, tables and other furniture today on 1stDibs.
Pierre Jeanneret Easy Chair
By Pierre Jeanneret
Located in Soho, London, GB
Iconic easy chair by Pierre Jeanneret from the administrative offices of Chandigarh, India. Restored and recaned in natural cane.
Cane, Teak
Pierre Jeanneret 'Armless Easy Chair', Model No. PJ-SI-35-A
By Pierre Jeanneret
Located in London, Charterhouse Square
Pierre Jeanneret armless easy chair. Teak and rattan.
Cane, Rattan, Teak
"Office Armchair" by Pierre Jeanneret, circa 1955
By Pierre Jeanneret
Located in London, GB
Authentic 'Office Chair' from the administrative buildings of Chandigarh (Ref. PJ-SI-28-B). In excellent condition - joints have been restored and cane work replaced. Pierre Jeanneret (22 March 1896 - 4 December 1967) was a Swiss architect who collaborated with his cousin, Le Corbusier, designing furniture for Le Corbusier's vast modernist complex at Chandigarh. Jeanneret remained for over 15 years as the project’s chief architect and the city remains a masterpiece of the modern vision. The pair pioneered a new aesthetic that placed function and order over embellishment—Jeanneret’s work imbuing the strict geometry of modernism with lighter materials like cane and wood. Jeanneret also collaborated with other modern masters, Charlotte Perriand on experiments in aluminium and wood, and Jean Prouve developing prefabricated housing. Literature: Catalogue Raisonné du Mobilier: Jeanneret Chandigarh, 2019. Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, The Indian Adventure...
Cane, Teak
Easy armchair by Pierre Jeanneret, India, 1960s
By Pierre Jeanneret
Located in Tokyo, Tokyo
Pierre Jeanneret easy armchair, Chandigarh. Low-slung solid wood frame with distinctive V-shaped legs and broad armrests. A relaxed seating model characteristic of Jeanneret’s Chandi...
Wood
$11,000
H 32.29 in W 20.87 in D 24.02 in
Pierre Jeanneret, SI-26-E original armchair / writing chair, Mid-Century Modern.
By Pierre Jeanneret
Located in Stockholm, SE
This iconic original armchair SI-26-E / writing chair by legendary designer Pierre Jeanneret. With rattan seating and back. One armrest with a small writing space. Authentic Mid Cen...
Teak, Rattan
$15,600
H 29.53 in W 21.26 in D 30.71 in
Pierre Jeanneret PJ-SI-45-A X-Easy Armchair / Authentic Mid-Century Modern
By Pierre Jeanneret
Located in Zürich, CH
Rare armchair known as “Cross easy chair” in solid teak and braided canework, circa 1955-1956. We have two of them to offer. PJ-SI-45-A for Chandigarh. This chair is a fantastic pi...
Cane, Teak
Easy Chair "PJ-SI-S8-B" by Pierre Jeanneret
By Pierre Jeanneret
Located in Paris, FR
Easy Chair PEC / Boys Hostel 78 x 50 x 48 cm 30.71 x 19.69 x 18.9 in Teak wood and wicker The seat bears the inscription: PEC (Punjab Engineering College), Boys Hostel, 79, III. Pro...
Wicker, Wood, Teak
$6,500
H 30.52 in W 19.89 in D 18.71 in
Pierre Jeanneret PJ-SI-28-A Cane Office Armchair / Authentic Mid-Century Modern
By Pierre Jeanneret
Located in Zürich, CH
The relationship between the elements ensures a balanced composition. The careful alignment and proportions create an equilibrium, giving a sense of coherent design. Both tension and...
Cane, Teak
Easy Chair "PJ-SI-S8-B" by Pierre Jeanneret
By Pierre Jeanneret
Located in Paris, FR
Easy Chair PEC / Boys Hostel 78 x 50 x 48 cm 30.71 x 19.69 x 18.9 in Teak wood and wicker The seat bears the inscription: PEC (Punjab Engineering College), Boys Hostel, 79, III. Pro...
Wicker, Wood
$4,200
H 30.71 in W 18.51 in D 17.72 in
Pierre Jeanneret PJ-SI-28-B Armchair / Authentic Mid-Century Modern
By Pierre Jeanneret
Located in Zürich, CH
The visible nonchalance here celebrates the lightness and the joy of life. It’s not about representation or impressing others. It demonstrates the Indian lifestyle, much more casual ...
Cane, Teak
Chair by RO/LU "Sitting as Seeing (After Rietveld)"
By RO/LU
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Powder-coated, welded-steel chair by RO/LU from the series "Surfaces On Which Your Setting and Sitting Will Be Uncertain". 2 available. This is the last project that the now-defunct ...
Steel
Brian Thoreen Bronze Growth Side Table
By Brian Thoreen
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Cast bronze and brass table by LA-based designer Brian Thoreen. Custom sizes and finishes are available.
Brass, Bronze
Christopher Prinz "Wrinkled Side Table" in Living Brass
By Christopher Prinz
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Wrinkled steel side table by Omaha-based designer Christopher Prinz, who achieves this unusual texture by repeatedly creasing a thin sheet of steel, resulting in a strong, rigid, and...
Steel
Christopher Prinz "Wrinkled Stool" in Black Oxide (Raw)
By Christopher Prinz
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Wrinkled steel stool by Omaha-based designer Christopher Prinz, who achieves this unusual texture by repeatedly creasing a thin sheet of steel, resulting in a strong, rigid, and uniq...
Steel
Christopher Prinz “Wrinkled Chair” in Rainbow Iridescent (Raw)
By Christopher Prinz
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Wrinkled steel chair by Omaha-based designer Christopher Prinz, who achieves this unusual texture by repeatedly creasing a thin sheet of steel, resulting in a strong, rigid, and uniq...
Steel
Brian Thoreen Modernist Brass Dining Table
By Brian Thoreen
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Amazing solid brass and steel dining table by LA-based designer Brian Thoreen. Custom sizes and finishes are available.
Brass, Steel
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
The Antwerp-based designer lends his unique touch to homes, boutiques and offices in Belgium, the United States and Germany, as well as furniture for B&B Italia and Molteni.
