Charlotte Periand

Charlotte Perriand was one of the most influential designers of the 20th century – uncompromisingly modern, open-minded and socially committed. Her designs for furniture and rooms combine functionality with a keen sense of material, movement and everyday life. Often overshadowed by her famous colleagues, her work today stands for a powerful modernism of its own.

Charlotte Perriand (1903–1999) was an architect, designer and a pioneer of modern living. Early on, she was looking for a new, contemporary design language – minimalist, functional and open to the needs of everyday life. In 1927, she presented her “Bar under the roof” at the Paris Salon d’Automne: a radical interior made of aluminium, glass and chrome – cool, clear and forward-looking.
Shortly afterwards, she began her collaboration with Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret and played a key role in iconic designs such as the LC4 reclining chair and the LC2 armchair – even if for a long time only her colleagues were mentioned. However, Perriand’s thinking went far beyond individual pieces of furniture: she designed living spaces, kitchens, modular systems and entire interiors – always with an eye to function, movement and social reality.
Her creative thinking was characterised by an international outlook: she worked in Japan, Vietnam and Brazil, integrating natural materials, local techniques and cultural influences into her work. Charlotte Perriand saw design as a contribution to a better, communal way of life – her work is modern because it is human.