Other meanings of Charlotte Perriand
Design & Architecture
Charlotte Perriand (1903–1999) was a French architect and designer whose pioneering work in modernist furniture and interior design helped define the 20th-century aesthetic of living. She is best known for her collaborations with Le Corbusier and Jean Prouvé, and for her iconic creations such as the LC4 chaise longue and the Bibliothèque Tunisie.
Charlotte Perriand was born in Paris in 1903 and studied at the École de l'Union Centrale des Arts Décoratifs from 1920 to 1925. Her early work, such as the 'Bar sous le toit' (1927), caught the attention of Le Corbusier, who initially dismissed her modernist approach but later invited her to join his studio. At Le Corbusier's atelier, Perriand collaborated on furniture designs that would become icons of the machine age, including the LC2 and LC3 armchairs and the LC4 chaise longue, all crafted from tubular steel and leather.
Perriand's partnership with Jean Prouvé and Pierre Jeanneret produced innovative prefabricated structures and furniture for schools, hospitals, and ski resorts. Her work on the Maison du Peuple in Clichy (1939) with Prouvé demonstrated her skill in integrating metal and glass. After World War II, she traveled to Japan (1940–1942), where her exposure to traditional Japanese crafts and minimalism profoundly influenced her later designs, such as the 'Tokyo' chair and her use of natural materials like wood and bamboo.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Perriand designed interiors for the United Nations in Geneva and the Maison du Brésil at the Cité Universitaire in Paris. Her 1968 'Les Arcs' ski resort in Savoie, France, integrated architecture with the landscape, using modular wooden units and communal living spaces. Perriand's work has been exhibited at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and the Design Museum in London, and her furniture remains in production by Cassina. She received the Grand Prix National de la Création Industrielle in 1984.
Beyond her famous furniture, Perriand was a passionate advocate for affordable housing and prefabrication. She designed the 'Unité d'Habitation' kitchen for Le Corbusier's Marseille block (1952), which featured modular storage and a built-in worktop. Her 1943 book 'L'Art de Vivre' (The Art of Living) outlined her philosophy of 'synthesis of the arts' and the importance of everyday objects. Perriand also experimented with photography, capturing images of her travels and workspaces, which were published posthumously in 'Charlotte Perriand: Photographies' (2005).
Perriand's work continues to influence contemporary design, with her furniture pieces still in production and her archives held at the Centre Pompidou.
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