Pierre Jeanneret, the soul of Chandigarh

Pierre Jeanneret (1896-1967) is Le Corbusier's cousin and collaborator, and one of the most sought-after designers at 21st-century auctions. A Swiss architect trained in Geneva and Paris, he participated alongside Le Corbusier in all the LC-signed furniture pieces, but it is his work in Chandigarh, India, that built his legend. Between 1951 and 1965, he designed there the official buildings and furnished in full the palaces, hospitals and universities: PJ-SI-25 chairs, Office Chair armchairs, tables, beds. Local teak, rattan, leather: furniture that lived two lives, forgotten then sacralised.

Pierre Jeanneret chairs and armchairs designed for Chandigarh, in teak and rattan, are now among the most coveted pieces of modern design at auctions. A signature to find for those wanting to bring into their interior an object from the history of architecture.