Charlotte Perriand She was one of the great designers and architects of the 20th century, who has left an indelible mark on contemporary design. She captured like few others the essence of Japanese arts and crafts, which she masterfully incorporated into her designs. Proof of this was the office for Air France Tokyo 1960, where he applied all his knowledge learned during his stays in Japan. But before we travel that far, let's find out who Charlotte Perriand was.

Young, Parisian and talented

Born in Paris in 1903, she spent the entire XNUMXth century throughout her 96 years of life, which allowed him an especially enriching perspective and vision of the world. After studying furniture design at the school of the Central Union of Decorative Arts, he showed up at Le Corbusier's studio to ask for a job, to which he responded with the famous phrase: “Miss, cushions are not embroidered here.”

The following year he exhibited at the Salon d'Automne, his Bar sur le toit (Bar under the roof), the reproduction of a project he carried out for his own penthouse in Paris, with an aluminum bar counter, metal tubes and modern furniture. 

Pierre Jeanneret, Le Corbusier's cousin, was the one who taught this project to the Swiss genius who, this time, had to recognize that the girl, only 25 years old, had talent and called her up. This prolific collaboration with Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret lasted a decade. Despite being part of the studio, Charlotte created her own workspace to maintain her independence.

The union Le Corbusier-Perriand and Jeanneret

He collaborated with Le Corbusier and Jeanneret on numerous architectural projects, designing the equipment for different homes such as the villas La Roche-Jeanneret, Church in Ville-d'Avray, Stein-de Monzie and the Villa Savoye, as well as the interiors of the Swiss Pavilion in the University City and the City Refuge of l' Armée du Salut, both in Paris. He also worked with him on the definition of the cellule minimum (1929)

Design, art and architecture

Perriand was in charge of the design and furnishing of the spaces, what they called the "room equipment", inspired by elements or events of its time, such as the automobile industry or aeronautics. He also used to do collaborations with his artist friends, such as Calder, Picasso and, above all, Léger, since Charlotte conceived interior design as a holistic concept at the heart of art, industry and crafts. She was also a photographer highlighted, the new art of the 20th century, which he introduced into his projects with a modern vision not seen before.

In 1937 Charlotte left Le Corbusier's studio, although on good terms as they would continue to collaborate on some projects together. Now independent, she dedicates herself to research in terms of prefabrication of modular homes in which he collaborated with Jean Prouvé. Perriand's collaborations multiplied throughout his career, working with other architects such as Lucio Costa, Niemeyer, Candilis, Josic & Woods. The years 1938 and 1939 were dedicated to research with wood. and also, at this time, their reflections on mountain architecture began. 

Image of the Exhibition “Pour une synthèse des arts” (Tokyo, 1953), with own designs: the “Tokio” benches, the “Nuages” bookcases and the “Ombre” chairs. The work, by the cubist painter Fernand Léger and a great collaborator of Charlotte, is the same one that appears in the image above, in his studio.

Japan travel

In 1941, she traveled to Japan, invited by Junzo Sakakura, and worked for the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. As part of her mission to guide Japanese production, she Charlotte traveled the country for more than six months, giving talks and conferences in art schools, training and production centers, specialized institutes, etc.

In the words of curator Y. Kikuchi: “The Japanese government's strategy consisted of exporting Western and 'modern' style products, but redesigned and reinterpreted according to the criteria of traditional Japanese craftsmanship. In this context, Perriand's specific mission was to provide tips to improve the design of this craft, stimulate exports and identify the best of Japanese industrial art to get the most out of it. What was essential was not so much the influence of Japan on Perriand, but the fact that, upon his arrival in Japan, Perriand had discovered a country where his ideas, already in gestation, would find a home in the principles underlying the constructive logic (...).

The Air France offices in Tokyo

Charlotte's husband, Jacques Martin, worked for Air France and was posted to Japan between 1953 and 1955, where he helped open a new route between Paris and Tokyo through the North Pole. The design of the agency Air France in Tokyo and Osaka was entrusted to Charlotte Perriand.

At the Tokyo agency, Charlotte Perriand decided to integrate the concept of feng shui: The agency was conceived as a true place of serenity in the heart of the Ginza neighborhood, a noisy and visually charged area (luminous billboards, advertising, etc.). The agency's layout had to fulfill several functions: public reception, ticket sales, reservation management, advertising promotion, information and local administration. That is why he devised an open space with offices in the shape of airplane wing

Its black walls, isolated from the outside bustle, transform it into a gigantic lacquer box. Adapting the principles she had learned on her first trip into the working world, Charlotte Perriand was the first to create an open space in which movement is facilitated by the cabinets and decorations pushed against the walls.

El kinetic wall, 13 meters long, with an aerial photograph of the North Pole, it is loaded with meaning: it symbolizes the opening of the Paris/Tokyo air route in the North, but also the atomic bombings of Japan. iconic pieces of european designor they also occupy a place of honor in this space: the chair Tulip de Eero Saarinen and the DSR and DAR chairs Charles and Ray Eames.

In these offices he applied the lessons learned on his first trip: the importance of emptiness, cabinets placed against the wall, modular furniture, reflection on the separation of spaces, the use of natural materials and the fluidity of the circulation. The contrasts between colors, its balance and its small number (black, red, white) reflect its sensitivity towards the Asian concept of feng shui, an interior design that favors well-being and fulfillment.

A full life

Once back in Paris, he continued working in his studio and from 1964 onwards, he began to collaborate with the Italian firm Cassina, the only firm authorized to publish his designs, until his death in 1999.

Without place to doubts Charlotte Perriand It embodies the cultural avant-garde that, since the beginning of the 20th century, promoted a profound renewal of aesthetic values ​​that gave rise to a modern sensibility of daily life. In this context, his contribution focuses on the interior architecture spaces, which are conceived as the driving force of a new way of living, which is still at the center of the contemporary lifestyle today. In the field of the history of 20th century interior design, the advent of modernity was possible thanks to the entrepreneurial audacity of this true reformer of interior design and architecture.

Photos Charlotte Perriand Foundation