Maison&Objet, the semi-annual Paris design fair, was held in January at the Parc des Expositions de Villepinte— as well as at galleries and showrooms throughout the city—showcasing vintage and reinvigorated furnishings of 20th century greats Jean Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand, and Le Corbusier along with the 21st century work of French architects Jean-Michel Wilmotte and Clémentine D’Aspremont-Menaya.
Jean-Richard Bloch at his Bureau Boomerang Desk in 1938. Photo © Archives Charlotte Perriand ADAGP 2023
On the corner of Boulevard Saint-Germain, Italian manufacturer Cassina held a global kick-off event presenting the reissue of Perriand’s 1938 Bureau Boomerang desk. According to the architect’s daughter Pernette Perriand-Barsac, “This desk is original, both functionally and organically. It envelops the user's body, putting it at the center of the desk and the space."
It was originally designed for French editor and writer Jean-Richard Bloch in a wood finish, its curve meant to allow gatherings and meetings to happen around it. The all-wood unit is now available in Canaletto walnut with natural finish, oak-stained ash or oak-stained black, and incorporates electrical sockets and USB ports. It can also be upholstered with a saddle leather top or desk mat.
Le Corbusier’s LC16 Bureau Desk reissued for the Cassina Pro collection. Photo courtesy Cassina
With guidance from the Foundation Le Corbusier, Cassina also re-issued the Swiss-born French architect’s LC16 Bureau Desk, first conceived in 1957 as a child’s writing desk with exposed shelves. Intended for the Unité d’habitation in Nantes-Rezé, the wood desk is now available as part of the residential offerings from Cassina Pro in natural oak with a high-gloss red lacquer top.
Before working at prestigious American firms such as Peter Marino Architects and STUDIOS Architecture, Clémentine D’Aspremont-Menayas studied at Ecole d’Architecture Paris-La-Villette. Returning to France, she launched her own practice in 2012. Last month D’Aspremont-Menayas debuted AVAO, a new range of furniture that includes chairs, with and without arms, and a lounge—all channeling Marcel Breuer's 1928 Cantilever chair. A nesting table is in the works and, according to D’Aspremont-Menayas, the pieces are sustainable and easy to assemble, made with timeless materials like bent-beech plywood, brass fittings, walnut, oak or beech veneers, and gray or off-white leather.
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AVAO Collection by Clémentine D’Aspremont-Menayas. Photo © Mario Simon Lafleur
Across the Seine, Perriand’s spirit was revived once again through another collaboration, this time between Perriand-Barsac and Milanese rug maker cc-tapis, resulting in a series of colorful striped, hand-knotted Nepalese rugs. Les Arcs, a 1968 modernist ski resort in the French Alps designed by Perriand-Barsc’s late mother, was the inspiration behind the weavings, originally envisioned as panels for one of its buildings. Today, six of Perriand’s color studies for those unrealized wall treatments have been reimagined as graphic floor coverings offered in three sizes and five striking color combinations—all on display during the Dan Thawley–curated show at Galerie les Filles du Calvaire alongside a mix of archival objects and illustrations for various Perriand projects.
In-Folio lantern by Jean-Michel Wilmotte. Photo courtesy Delisle
Best known for his collaboration on the Louvre’s interiors with I.M. Pei, architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte’s latest product is a sleek lantern for heritage brand Delisle. Unveiled at their Rue du Parc Royal showroom, the suspended glass LED fixture, dubbed In-Folio, is composed of three hand-blown curved glass elements, secured with steel brackets and crafted at the company’s workshop in Montreuil, a Paris suburb.
Finally, in the 8th arrondissement, vintage pieces by French architect, designer, and metal artisan Jean Prouvé were juxtaposed with contemporary art at Galerie Perrotin Matignon. The joint exhibition La Cité Universitaire de Jean Prouvé, a collaboration with François Laffanour Galerie Downtown, presents Prouvé’s designs for university residences manufactured from sturdy wood and metal, materials that played a starring role in the self-taught architect’s signature oeuvre. “There is no difference between building a house and making a piece of furniture,” was Prouvé’s guiding principle throughout his illustrious career. The exhibit will be on view at 8 Avenue Matignon in Paris, until February 25th.
