Paris, Moscow, Tokyo: This book, published to accompany the exhibition in Salzburg, presents Charlotte Perriand as a well-travelled and independent architect, designer and photographer. Her housing concepts were modern and socially conscious, and remain remarkably relevant to this day.
Sandra Hofmeister
Charlotte Perriand. The Art of Dwelling, Katia Baudin, Waleria Dorogova (edd.), Hatje Cantz, Berlin 2026 → order now
“We don’t embroider cushions here,” said Le Corbusier when Charlotte Perriand applied for a job at his office in October 1927. She was just 24 years old at the time and was turned down. That changed shortly afterwards, after Le Corbusier had seen her work at the Salon d’Automne. From 1927 to 1937, Perriand worked in his studio on Rue de Sèvres in Paris. As an equal partner, she formed a creative trio with Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret. Among her most important works were designs for tubular steel furniture, including a series of comfortable armchairs that later became known as the LC models. The fact that Perriand played a key role in these designs was kept secret for decades and only recognised much later.
Charlotte Perriand lying on the Chaise longue basculante by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand, 1928, Archives Charlotte Perriand, © FLC, VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, 2025, © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, 2025
Chaise Longue
Among the best-known pieces of furniture in which Perriand played a key role is the Chaise Longue. A photograph showing her relaxing on the tubular steel lounger, her head turned away, became famous. The image went around the world and turned the piece into an icon of modernism. However, the identity of the woman in the picture remained in the background for a long time. The furniture, which is now produced by Cassina, was regarded for decades as purely Le Corbusier’s designs. It is only in the last ten years or so that Charlotte Perriand has also been publicly credited as the designer.
Charlotte Perriand, André, Tournon, Refuge Bivouak, (mountain shelter) on Mont Joly, Saint-Nicolas-de-Véroce, winter 1938/39, Photo: Charlotte Perriand, Archives Charlotte Perriand, © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, 2025
Radical design ideas
The exhibition in Salzburg (until 15.3.2026) highlights just how much Perriand’s ideas about living differed from those of Le Corbusier. Charlotte Perriand’s work was characterised by an interest in archaic everyday objects, which were often unbranded and simple. She took a radical stance on many issues. She considered wardrobes, for example, to be superfluous – clothes should be folded rather than hung up. Her vision was furniture for everyone. She saw the house as a place of peace and relaxation, not as a functional machine. In this, she stood in contrast to Le Corbusier’s famous formula of ‘the house as a machine for living in’. Politically, too, Perriand sought her own path. She established contacts with the Communist Party and travelled to Moscow, where she met Bruno Taut and Ernst May.
Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand, Djo Bourgeois, Jean Fouquet, and Percy Scholefield in the Bar sous le Toit, 1928, Photo: Pierre Jeanneret, gta Archiv / ETH Zürich, Alfred Roth, © FLC, VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, 2025, © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, 2025
Small houses
Perriand developed small, mobile houses such as the Refuge Bivouac on Mont Joly and the modular Maison au Bord de l’Eau. These were designs for democratic housing, intended for the many but ultimately achievable only by the few. Her belief in standardised floor plans and mass production stemmed from her political convictions and her desire for architecture to be widely accessible. In 1940, Perriand travelled to Japan and remained there throughout the war. The designs from this period combine modern design with Japanese craftsmanship and traditional spatial concepts – a fusion that had a lasting influence on her later work.
Charlotte Perriand, Gouache and, photomontage of the équipement, intérieur d’une habitation, shown, at the 1929 Salon d’automne, Published in L’Architecture vivante, 1930, Collection Kunstmuseen Krefeld, © FLC, VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, 2025 © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, 2025
The exhibition catalogue Charlotte Perriand: The Art of Living, beatifully designed by Armand Mevis, traces the key stages of her life and thought. In doing so, it succeeds in highlighting the close connection between architecture, politics and design in her work. Anyone wishing to rediscover Charlotte Perriand’s furniture and ideas will find this volume both informative and inspiring. It is enriched by interviews and statements from contemporary witnesses, such as her daughter Pernette.
The exhibition Charlotte Perriand. Modern Living: Design, Photography, Architecture can be seen at the Museum der Moderne in Salzburg until mid-September. Later on i twill be shown at Fondaciò Joan Miró in Barcelona (6.10. until 27.2.2027)
Charlotte Perriand. The Art of Dwelling
Katia Baudin, Waleria Dorogova (edd.)
English, 272 pages
190 × 260 mm,
Gestaltet von Armand Mevis
Hatje Cantz, Berlin 2026
ISBN 9783775761659
