LC16 Writing Desk with Shelves by Le Corbusier for Cassina

Born in Switzerland in 1887 as Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, Le Corbusier was an architect, urban planner, painter, writer, designer, and theorist who lived and worked primarily in France. In 1900, he began to study at the École d'Art in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, as an engraver and goldsmith, expanding his studies in 1904 to include architecture. Among his influential early teachers were Auguste Perret, Jose Hoffman, and architect Peter Behrens. During World War I, Le Corbusier taught at his old school in La Chaux-de-Fonds. After the war, he returned to Paris and worked on concrete structures for the government while focusing most of his energy on painting.

In 1919, Le Corbusier and painter Amédée Ozenfant—cofounders of the Purism movement—launched the art magazine L’Esprit Nouveau (the Le Corbusier pseudonym was officially adopted in its first issue). The magazine presented Le Corbusier’s ideas on modern architecture, which were based on a philosophy of harmony and proportion. In 1922, he and his cousin Pierre Jeanneret opened a studio in Paris, a partnership that lasted until 1940. The pair began to experiment with furniture design after architect Charlotte Perriand joined the studio in 1928. In his design, architecture, and artwork, Le Corbusier embraced elemental geometric forms. In 1943, he developed Modulor, a system of proportions based on the male figure and the golden ratio, which was used to determine the proportions of units in architecture and technology. This also served as the basis for his furniture design.

After World War II, Le Corbusier sought efficient ways to house large numbers of people in response to the housing crisis. His most notable housing unit was the Unité d'Habitation of Marseilles (1946–52). He was also a founding member of the Congrès International d'Architecture Moderne (CIAM). During the 1950s, he was presented the unique opportunity to translate his vision on a large scale with the construction of the newly founded capital city of Chandigarh, India.

A leading 20^th-century modern architect, Le Corbusier pioneered the International style, working primarily with steel and reinforced concrete. His buildings were constructed across central Europe, India, and Russia, and one each in North and South America. Arguably, his most notable works are the Weissenhof Settlement in Stuttgart (1927) and Villa Savoye (1929–31). In 1961, he was awarded the Frank P. Brown Medal and the AIA Gold Medal. In 1964, Milan’s Cassina S.p.A. acquired exclusive worldwide rights to manufacture his furniture designs.

Le Corbusier died in August 1965.

Italian furniture manufacturing giant Cassina, originally named Amedeo Cassina, was founded by brothers Cesare (1909-1979) and Umberto (1910-1992) Cassina in Meda, Italy in 1927. Although initially specialized in bespoke woodworking and high-end interiors, by the 1950s the brothers took the company in a new direction, anticipating the growing demand for mass-produced home furnishings. Cassina is often credited with introducing industrial design to Italy and has built an international reputation for collaborating with some of the world’s most respected designers.

Notably, in 1964 (while famed architect Le Corbusier was still alive), Cassina signed the first exclusive licensing agreement covering the edition rights for designs by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, and Charlotte Perriand. The company soon after launched the I Maestri Collection which over the decades has gathered major icons of design under the Cassina brand, such as the LC4 Lounge (1928) jointly designed by Le Corbusier, Jeanneret, and Perriand, as well as Dutch architect Gerrit Rietveld’s 635 Red & Blue Armchair (1918), Scottish architect-designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Hill House Chair (1902), and many more.

With a focus more on partnering with the best designers rather than creating and maintaining a particular style, Cassina is responsible for some of the most recognized and beloved designs of the 20^th and 21^st centuries. Highlights include Italian architect-designer Gio Ponti’s Superleggera Chair (1957), German designer Konstantin Grcic’s Kanu Chair (2009), Iranian-British architect Zaha Hadid’s Zephyr Sofa (2013), and French designer Philippe Starck’s My World Sofa (2013).  Throughout its visionary collaborations with both design luminaries and cutting-edge experiments with new talents, Cassina has remained dedicated to the Italian design ideals of craftsmanship and quality, and the brand continues to excel in the fusion of industrial technology and artisanal production.

Cassina’s designs are included in permanent collections the world over, such as the Museum of Modern Art (New York), Vitra Design Museum (Weil am Rhein) and London Design Museum.

Cassina is now a part of the prestigious Poltrona Frau Group.

* All images courtesy of Cassina.