With its undulating, futuristic and playful form, it’s easy to see why filmmaker Stanley Kubrick chose to use Olivier Mourgue’s iconic Djinn chair in his 1968 masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey. But the French artist and industrial designer is known for much more than the Space Age Djinn. From his whimsical Flower floor lamps to his anthropomorphic Bouloum chair, Mourgue is renowned as an important contributor to the 1960s Pop art era of modern furniture design.
Born in Paris in 1939, Mourgue grew up in an apartment filled with Empire-style antique furniture, which he derided as having “nothing to do with life.” He later studied art at Paris’s École Boulle, graduating in 1958. He then attended the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs.
In 1959, his former teacher at École Boulle, Marcel Merpillat, encouraged him to present a chair he designed at a competition hosted by furniture manufacturer Airborne. Airborne founder Charles Bernard was impressed by Mourgue’s design, which featured a leather-upholstered seat attached to a chrome steel frame; it was produced by the company under the name the Joker. Mourgue designed several other mid-century modern pieces for Airborne throughout the 1960s, including the Whist chaise longue, the rotund Montreal chair, the unique Cubique chair and the Djinn series, which first appeared in 1964.
In addition to Airborne, Mourgue has designed for furniture manufacturers such as Disderot and Prisunic, and collaborated with British architect and designer Sir Norman Foster and Finnish architect Juhani Pallasmaa.
Mourgue worked for Le Mobilier National to design the French Pavilion for Montreal’s Expo ‘67. In 1968, he received the International Design Award from the Institute of Interior Designers in New York for the Djinn lounge chair. He also exhibited several of his works at Expo ‘70 in Osaka, Japan.
Today, Mourgue’s pieces are part of the permanent collections at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage Olivier Mourgue seating, lighting and more.
Djinn Chaise by Olivier Mourgue for Airborne
By Olivier Mourgue
Located in Little Burstead, Essex
An original chaise frame from Olivier Mourgue for Airborne in France, rewebbed, refoamed and recovered in Knoll international fabric, which all comply with current fire safety regula...
Steel
Olivier Mourgue Djinn Chaise
Located in New York, NY
The Djinn Chaise by Olivier Mourgue is one of the most iconic examples of futuristic furniture design from the late 1960s. Created as part of Mourgue’s celebrated Djinn seating serie...
Steel
Restored Olivier Mourgue "Djinn" Chaise Lounge for Airborne
By Olivier Mourgue
Located in Berlin, DE
Newly upholstered Djinn Chaise Lounge in Kvadrat Tonus wool fabric. The color as close as it was shown in the 2001 movie by Stanley Kubrick. Excel...
Metal
$15,040
H 25.6 in W 66.93 in D 23.63 in
Olivier Mourgue 'Djinn' chaise lounge Reupholstered British wool fabric
By Olivier Mourgue
Located in London, GB
An iconic 'Djinn' chaise lounge designed by Olivier Mourgue for Airborne, France, circa 1960s. This sculptural piece is part of the celebrated Djinn series — best known for its futur...
Wool
$6,600
H 24.81 in W 23.63 in D 68.9 in
"Djinn" Chaise Lounge By Olivier Mourgue For Airborne, France 1960's
By Olivier Mourgue
Located in Tel Aviv-Yafo, IL
Iconic, heavily sought after and rare design piece. Made of a steel frame, foam and still in its original purple upholstery. the Djinn series became famous after appearing in Stanle...
Fabric
$3,335 / item
H 24.02 in W 24.41 in D 47.25 in
21st Century Modern Textile Chaise Longue With Removable Cover
By Federico Carandini
Located in Milan, IT
The Nova chaise longue, designed in 2021 for the dressing rooms of the Arcimboldi theatre in Milano, is a compact but theatrical piece that easily finds its place in any environment....
Velvet
$11,351 / item
H 27.96 in W 33.08 in D 74.02 in
Customizable Desalto Clip Chaise Longue by Francesco Rota
By Desalto
Located in New York, NY
Clip - price listed for fabric Francesco Rota, 2024 Chaise longue with an internal structural frame in steel covered with polyurethane foam padding. Inserted into a three-dimensional...
Upholstery
WIREFLOW Chaise longue by Michel Rojkind for Driade
By Driade
Located in Brooklyn, NY
We designed the Wireflow chaise longue creating a soft and flexible shell, evoking simple and fluid lines with particular emphasis on ergonomics an...
Leather, Fabric
Olivier Mourgue "Djinn" Daybed for Airborne, France 1965
By Olivier Mourgue
Located in Utrecht, NL
French industrial designer Oliver Mourgue obtained his degree in Interior Design at the prestigious École Boulle, from where he went on to pursue his passion in furniture design at t...
Fabric, Upholstery
$6,000
H 25 in W 69 in D 24 in
French 'Djinn' Chaise Lounge by Olivier Mourgue for Airborne International, 1965
By Olivier Mourgue
Located in Chicago, IL
The 'Djinn' chaise lounge, designed by Olivier Mourgue for Airborne International in 1965, is an icon of futuristic and Space Age design. Characterized by its fluid, low-slung silhou...
Upholstery
CedriMartini Ghost Chaise Lounge
Located in Miami, FL
CedriMartini Ghost chaise in lacquered gloss white. Ghost Chaise Longue by CedriMartini features a modern Italian design. This swinging chaise longue is characterized by a fluid and...
Fiberglass, Lacquer
Claude Brisson Postmodern Zen Lounge Chair and Ottoman for Ligne Roset, 1980s
By Ligne Roset, Claude Brisson
Located in Miami, FL
Postmodern Zen lounge chair and footrest by Claude Brisson for Ligne Roset, France 1980s. Rendered in black and white vegan leather upholstery with blac...
Faux Leather
Michael Wolk "Miami" Swivel Loung Chair on Casters
By Michael Wolk
Located in Miami, FL
Iconic Michael Wolk designed Miami lounge chair. The chair sits on five casters and maintains its original Eggplant upholstery which is in excellent condition for age and use. Whi...
Fabric
Toussaint and Angeloni White Leather Lounge Chair and Footrest for Matteo Grassi
By Matteo Grassi
Located in Miami, FL
Original saddle-stitched, white leather lounge chair and ottoman on white leather wrapped aluminum frame designed by Jacques Toussaint and Patrizia Angeloni for Matteo Grassi. Main...
Aluminum
Let It Be Modular Fabric and Leather Daybeds for Poltrona Frau - a Pair
Located in Miami, FL
Pair of Let It Be daybeds with downfilled Italian fabric off-white with a slight cream tone cushions on a leather wrapped die-cast aluminum frames. The natural evolution of the dayb...
Aluminum, Chrome
Maurizio Peregalli Modernist Bench for Zues, Italy 1980s
By Zeus, Maurizio Peregalli
Located in Miami, FL
Modernist black lacquered steel and rubber bench by Maurizio Peregalli for Zeus, Italy. 1980s. Additional dimensions: Width 47” Depth 16-3/8” Height 16” Seat height (highest part o...
Steel
