There is no doubt that Paris Design Week will keep its promises again this year. The program is dense, the meetings enriching, the rhythm infernal!
Since our new program allows us to do so, before starting the second week with the same energy, we invite you to enjoy this Saturday’s program in an effervescent Marais (see N°666) between young creation talents and institutions…
Don’t forget, between two showrooms and showers, Intramuros offers its traditional Café at the Espace Commines. A meeting place to relax, to meet, to eat in the new colorful reissues of the Jean Prouvé collection by Vitra.
At best, you will take the opportunity to attend one of the nine Intramuros x PDW Talks on the possible synergies between art and design (a real subject!), Japanese inspiration… without forgetting a carte blanche to the Women in Design collective.
And, just a few meters away, among the young talents of the Intramuros gallery on rue Froissart, you can read the latest issues of the magazine and discover the very first episodes of the podcast series co-created with Bang & Olufsen “La ligne du son”. Design and sounds that will resonate in the adjoining room until 10pm. You will finally win the Club Carbone de la Caserne, a brand new underground techno club imagined from a bare concrete cube, with lighting made from recycled LED elements and air purifiers with real plants inside!
Lineup and password at 0756815156. For a Saturday Design Night Fever(t)!
In addition, the Chronicles of the day after odp are also back! Find them directly here
So, enjoy and above all, take care!
Monday, September 12th
Design on course – 10am / 6pm
The “Design sur cours” exhibition invites designers to exhibit their outdoor projects (installations, exhibitions, demonstrations, etc.) in emblematic Parisian locations during Paris Design Week.
Alexis Tricoire, Carbone 14, Laurent Corio, l’Atelier Choletaise, or Filière Bois are exhibiting at the Maison Victor Hugo, the Bibliothèque Historique de la Ville de Paris, the Bibliothèque Forney or the Hôtel d’Albret.
Maison Victor Hugo⎢6 pl. des Vosges – Paris 4 (M° Chemin Vert)
BHVP⎢24 rue Pavée – Paris 4 (M° St-Paul)
Bibliothèque Forney⎢1 rue du Figuier – Paris 4 (M° St-Paul)
Hôtel d’Albret⎢31 rue des Francs-Bourgeois – Paris 4 (M° St-Paul)
The Invisible Collection – 10am / 6pm
Exhibition of designer Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance’s creations in his Paris studio during the Paris Design Week (08/17-09).
Limited edition pieces, now available on the digital platform dedicated to contemporary furniture, The Invisible Collection.
Exclusive meeting with the designer.
Studio Noé Duchaufour-Lawrancen ⎢8 passage de la Bonne Graine – Paris 11 (M° Ledru-Rollin)
Organic Design & Modern Mexico – 17h / 20h
Presentation of the San Miguel Lounge Chair in a new way and around a mezcalito for the exhibition “Organic Design & Modern Mexico”.
Luteca⎢7 rue de la Banque – Paris 2 (M° Bourse)
Fermob – 6:30 pm / 10 pm
Festive cocktail for a “Welcome Out” exhibition.
Fermob⎢14 rue de la Corderie – Paris 3 (M° République)
Tuesday, September 13th
Materials & Light – 7pm / 10:30pm
Private party by invitation (ask us: contact@theodpletter.com) of the Materials & Light show (12/13-09) organized by d’a, the magazine of architectural creation: two days of exhibitions, conferences and workshops dedicated to innovative solutions for architecture… and now to innovative Craft, with the m’l Craft capsule.
Conference “Exceptional materials and know-how” around the presentation of traditional materials revisited, innovative assemblies and new aesthetic approaches… a selection of 10 exceptional materials and know-how! In partnership with Muuuz, the Lab by Look, the French Craft Guild and Où est le Beau?
Le Carreau du Temple⎢4 rue Eugène Spuller – Paris 3 (M° Temple/République)
“Can design be popular?” – 9:30am / 6pm
Study day as part of the 3rd edition of France Design Week Loire Valley.
“Can design be popular?”, social, economic and environmental approaches with Frédéric Beuvry, Marie Coirié, Caroline Delanoe-Vieux, Jean-Louis Fréchin, Laurence Salmon, Malte Marin, Anthony Ferretti, Caroline Naphegyi and Adrien Payet, around Régine Charvet-Pello, designer and Director of RCP global design, fond. de Valesens and Jacqueline Febvre, director of F.A.I.R.E. par l’art et la culture.
registration: contact@valesens.fr
Palais des Congrès de Tours⎢26 bd Heurteloup – Tours 37
Hardwood street furniture from Seine-et-Marnais – 10:30 am / 12:30 pm
Opening of the exhibition of the winning projects of the Seine-et-Marnais hardwood street furniture competition – won by Amandine Diderot, Songes & Jardins and Luc Monvoisin, Kataba – and organized by Fibois and the CAUE 77 (08/18-09)
Bibliothèque Forney⎢1 rue du Figuier – Paris 4 (M° St-Paul)
“Poetry – 10:30 am / 12:30 pm
Opening of the exhibition of photographs and texts of the silent language of trees, by Lola G. as part of the exhibition “Le bois nous habite” / Fibois Centre Val-de-Loire.
Bibliothèque Forney⎢1 rue du Figuier – Paris 4 (M° St-Paul)
M&L: “From shop floor to factory floor: what developments for handcrafted solutions?” – 11h
Materials & Light Craft round table, moderated by Magali Lancien, French Craft Guild and Christophe Poble, Le Lab; with Philippe Badaroux, Pdt of the Light Cluster, Laurent Corio, designer, Yann Santerre, founder. de Gwilen, Arnaud Bousquet-Ky, director at Matériaupôle Paris Seine-Amont, Nicolas Dubois, Ateliers Roméo and Philippe Tissot, co-founder. KoMuT.
Registration for the exhibition here
Le Carreau du Temple⎢4 rue Eugène Spuller – Paris 3 (M° Temple/République)
Grands Prix de la Création de la Ville de Paris – 12 noon
Press conference of the Grands Prix de la Création de la Ville de Paris. In the presence of Olivia Polski, deputy mayor of Paris, the presidents of the jury, François Azambourg (design); Christine Phung (fashion) and Ludovic Avenel (crafts) as well as the 7 winners (Emerging Talents, Grand Prix and 1st prize for fashion accessories).
By invitation.
Hôtel de Ville⎢3 rue Lobau – Paris 4 (M° Hôtel de Ville)
Texture effects and insulation of facades with wood material – 15h / 16h
Conference of the CNDB & the Club Oui Au Bois, on the theme: “Texture effects and insulation of facades with wood”, led by Estelle Billiotte (member of the Club Oui Au Bois), the opportunity to discover the collection “Details of architecture”, highlighting wooden facades, documents produced by the CNDB, with the support of CODIFAB.
Registration for the show
here
Le Carreau du Temple⎢4 rue Eugène Spuller – Paris 3 (M° Temple/République)
Archaeological textiles and design, an unexpected dialogue – 5pm / 7pm
Opening of the exhibition “Archaeological textiles and design, an unexpected dialogue”, organized by the Design Spot and the PPSM, chemistry laboratory of ENS Paris-Saclay and CNRS, in partnership with ENSCi – Les Ateliers.
10 projects by ENSCi student-designers resulting from a pedagogical partnership (12/30-09), around new representations of knowledge in the field of archaeological textiles as well as new museographic proposals, as close as possible to research on the production and exceptional preservation of textiles dating from the Iron Age.
Register here
Atrium of ENS Paris-Saclay⎢4 av. des Sciences – Gif-sur-Yvette 91
La Biennale de Lyon – 18h
Opening by invitation of the 16th edition of the Biennale de Lyon (14-09/31-12), a contemporary art event, imagined by curators Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath as a “manifesto of fragility”.
89 artists from 39 countries, an event deployed throughout the Lyon metropolitan area, as well as the regional territory, more than 100 objects and works of art covering two millennia of history and an incursion into the tumultuous context, yet considered a golden age, of the 1960s in Beirut.
Pro Days (12/13-09)
More info
here
Former Fagor⎢ factories65 rue Challemel-Lacour – Lyon 69
Thelma & Pauline – 6pm
Private evening by invitation around the new Offecct collection created in collaboration with Pauline Deltour’s studio and the tribute book on the designer and her work. The voices of the book: Gwenaëlle Girard and Victoria Wilmotte. Facilitated by Chantal Hamaide.
Free access to the collection 11am-7pm.
54 rue Charlot – Paris 3 (M° Filles du Calvaire)
Ceramic & Food route – 6:30 pm / 8:30 pm
Book signing of the workshop “Ceramic & Food route” initiated by Mathilde Bretillot and IDE (International Design Expeditions), which combines the discovery of a territory with the experimentation of local know-how by designers (08/17-09).
MAD⎢105 rue de Rivoli – Paris 1 (M° Palais Royal)
Purple mood
Presentation of the new range “Purple Mood” of the Mauviel1830 manufacture, alliance of tradition and modernity.
Mauviel1830⎢14 rue du Mail – Paris 2 (M° Sentier)
Wednesday, September 14th
Green Oak – 9:30am / 11am
Visit of a wood operation through the Green Oak building, co-signed by the agencies Calq and Mootz & Pelé, has 8 levels of offices. The use of wood is a strong point of the architectural party. When combined with concrete, wood allows Green Oak to achieve environmental excellence. In the presence of the actors of the operation, including the Calq architectural firm.
Pre-registration
here
Green Oak⎢32-34 avenue Aristide Briand – Arcueil 94 (M° Barbara)
Nemus – 10am / 6pm
Press day around the Nemus exhibition (09/18-09) in the presence of Élise Fouin who invests the Balsan showroom with a scenography with fine and chiseled lines in the colors of the Balsan lands. A tribute to the work of the earth and the surrounding nature by sublimating the materials of recovery of the manufacture.
Showroom Balsan⎢99 rue de la Verrerie – Paris 4 (M° Hôtel de Ville)
Serax – 10am / 7pm
Serax and valerie_objects press day about the new A/W 2022 products.
Showroom⎢8 rue des Francs-Bourgeois – Paris 4 (M° St-Paul)
“Materials | Raw ” – 6pm
Opening of the exhibition “Matières | Brut”, which testifies to the passion of Bruno Decharme and Maurice Renoma for the creations of the street, the productions of self-taught, marginal, wandering souls.
By invitation.
L’Appart Renoma⎢129bis rue de la Pompe – Paris 16 (M° Rue de la Pompe)
L’Alma – 6pm
Inauguration of the new interior design of the Café de l’Alma by Gilles & Boissier.
By invitation.
The Alma⎢5 av. Rapp – Paris 7 (M° Alma Marceau)
The thread of time – 18h /21h
Opening on the occasion of the Lyon Biennial, of the exhibition “Le Fil du Temps” (01-09/23-11) of the Galerie Poggi in the presence of Jérôme Poggi and Camille Bréchignac.
Manifesta⎢6 rue Pizay – Lyon 69
Bang & Olufsen – 6pm / 9pm
Exclusive cocktail party in a Parisian apartment to present the latest news and collaborations, and to immerse visitors in a unique musical experience.
By invitation.
Bang & Olufsen⎢81 bd Beaumarchais – Paris 3 (M°Chemin Vert)
Thursday, September 15th
Madura – 9:30 am / 5 pm
Press presentation of the Autumn/Winter 2022 collection, an “anniversary” collection inspired by the brand’s archives, illustrating 50 years of history, know-how and passion for beautiful materials.
Flagship Madura⎢6 rue Tronchet – Paris 8 (M° Madeleine)
Fauchon – 10am / 6pm
Press presentation of the new gourmet products for Christmas 2022 from the Maison Fauchon. Cosy and warm atmosphere by the fire as in the mountains and tasting of sweet and savory creations. In the presence of Sébastien Monceaux, Executive Chef.
L’Hôtel, Jardin des Thés ⎢11 pl. de la Madeleine – Paris 8 (M° Madeleine)
Aqua – 10am / 7pm
Press presentation of the new Aqua collection by Beau&Bien, inspired by water, which combines drops and bubbles.
Showroom Beau&Bien⎢6 rue du Parc Royal – Paris 3 (M° Chemin Vert)
Frida Kahlo, beyond appearances – 10am / 9pm
Opening and night of the exhibition “Frida Kahlo, beyond appearances” proposing to enter the intimacy of the artist and understand how she built an identity through the way of presenting and representing herself.
Extended visit with exhibition-caption (15-09/31-12), which addresses the artist’s influence on contemporary fashion and how she remains, even today, an icon and a source of inspiration for designers, including Alexander McQueen, Jean Paul Gaultier, Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy, Maria Grazia Chiuri for Dior or Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garçons.
Palais Galliera⎢10 av. Pierre 1er de Serbie – Paris 16 (M° Iéna)
State(s) of Matter – 12h
Press preview of the exhibition “État(s) de Matière”, works and research projects of the winners of the Matière(s) 2022 grant from the Verrecchia Endowment Fund. Meeting with the artists in residence and visit of the exhibition followed by a cocktail reception.
By invitation. Confirm at agathemouezy@14septembre.com
Château de La Maye⎢49 rue du Parc de Clagny – Versailles 78 (M° Iéna)
Departure of the Porte Maillot shuttle – 11:15 a.m.
Zero Waste Design – 5pm
Launch of the 11th edition of the Design Zero Waste 2023 competition “One way to sustainable tourism” in the presence of Patrick Jouin, designer and sponsor of the edition.
By invitation
here
Hoba⎢44 rue Bernard Buffet – Paris 17 (M° Pte de Clichy)
Nemo – 5pm
Opening of the new Nemo Lighting/Nemo Studio showroom.
Showroom Nemo⎢44 rue du Bac – Paris 7 (M° Rue du Bac)
Piasa X Annmaris – 5pm
Auction dedicated to 20th century Finnish design, in partnership with the Finnish auction house Annmaris. More than 200 lots provide a remarkable overview of Finnish furniture production between the 1920s and 1970s (Alvar Aalto, Tapio Wirkkala, Kaj Franck, Paavo Tynell or Birger Kaipiainen).
Piasa⎢118 rue du Fbg St-Honoré – Paris 8 (M° Miromesnil)
Design, smile! – 17h
Talk on the occasion of the 1st participation to the France Design Week, of the French pop design brand Pylones within its ephemeral pop-up, designed in partnership with Procédés Chénel International (14/17-09).
Followed by a cocktail.
By invitation
here
Pylones⎢12 pl. de la Bastille Cour Damoye – Paris 11 (M° Bréguet-Sabin)
One day, one illustration – 6pm
Opening of the inaugural exhibition of the Gallery Un jour, une illustration (15-09/01-10).
Gallery Un jour, une illustration⎢3 rue Augereau – Paris 7 (M° La Tour-Maubourg)
To Weave – 6pm / 9pm
Publication of Tools magazine #2 – To Weave. Tools magazine is an annual publication that aims to promote and decipher the techniques and know-how of manufacturing in art, design, interior architecture, industry and crafts, paying close attention to those who make these cult objects of our daily lives, and who convey the stories behind our common imagination.
With : Valentin Adam (Playground Paris), Camille Azaïs, Jenna Castetbon, Ilyes Griyeb, Alexandre Guirkinger, Allyssa Heuze, Claire Kail, Nara Lee, Marvin Leuvrey, Isabelle Moisy Cobti, Tristan Pierard, Mathieu Peyroulet Ghilini, Romuald Roudier Théron, Scheltens & Abbenes, Graziella Semerciyan, Sophie Tajan, Audrey Teichmann
There won’t be enough for everyone! High quality work, Run to it!
Voltaire Consulate⎢14 av. Parmentier – Paris 11 (M° Voltaire)
Leclisse – 6pm / 9pm
Cocktail Passementerie Verrier presenting an unusual room (08/17-09).
Scenography imagined for Révelations 2022 by the studio Biehler et Graveleine and realized by the collective l’Atelier des Carmes, upholsterer decorator, Inata, exceptional textiles in Alpaca, l’Atelier Monier, carpenter in seat, and Passementerie Verrier.
Discovery of the alpaca fiber and its many virtues.
30 rue du Vertbois – Paris 3 (M° Temple)
AMPM – 6:30 pm / 9 pm
Cocktail for the inauguration of the new AMPM scenography with three decorative influences.
AMPM⎢49 rue Étienne Marcel – Paris 1 (M° Sentier)
Takeoff – Le BiS – 7pm
Inauguration by the ENSCI of the BiS, a new place for design.
Through an installation entitled “Entropic Design Display (EDD)” (08/18-09), XP Unit (designers Tom Formont and Roman Weil, ENSCi alumni, with Guillaume Le Tarnec and Jordi Vuong) brings together a selection of 40 archetypal objects that illustrate the plurality of trajectories in design.
Le BiS⎢52 bd de la Bastille – Paris 12 (M° Bastille)
Architecture Days – 7:30 pm
Series of meetings (15/16-09) between Swedish and French architects organized by Architects Sweden in the framework of Swedish Secrets, a season dedicated to design at the Swedish Institute. Reflections on the current issues of the profession, the challenges they face and the solutions they have experienced.
Think Tank 022 with Kjellander Sjöberg architects.
Swedish Institute⎢11 rue Payenne – Paris 3 (M° St-Paul)
“Bonjour Paris” – 8pm
BHV X CELC (European Confederation of Flax and Hemp) inauguration evening, around the exhibition of the artist Marin Montagut (27-08/02-10), famous for his delicate line and his palette of pastels, who signs for the occasion, several exclusivities of which an unpublished capsule collection of cushions in Linen embroidered with cross-stitch taking again the Parisian subway tickets of the 30s and 50s.
Concert book by Janie.
Le Perchoir Marais⎢33 rue de la Verrerie – Paris 4 (M° Hôtel de Ville)
Friday, September 16th
Blue Windows
On the occasion of France Design Week, Indigo d’Oc (a collective of designers
for the promotion of design in Occitania) is organizing the second edition of the Vitrines
Bleues (16-09/01-10), a city-wide exhibition of design projects installed in some thirty partner shop windows. They invite the public to better understand the different stages of the creation of an object, a concept, a graphic design… from the idea to the finished product, passing through the paths of reflection, study, drawing, prototype and manufacturing.
Vernissage of the Vernacular exhibition of Atelier Chatersèn in the Tagomago showcase.
Écusson district – St-Roch⎢rue des Tessiers church – Montpellier 34
Tagomago⎢1bis rue Four des Flammes – Montpellier 34
Manufacture Degrenne – 10am / 4pm
Guided tours (10am / 11am / 2pm / 3pm) of the different stages of cutlery manufacture as well as unique industrial expertise. From the architectural history of the factory to the boardroom and the office of the founder, Guy Degrenne, experience a journey to the heart of the 30 Glorieuses!
On registration: visite@degrenne.fr
Manufacture Degrenne⎢rue Guy Degrenne – Vire 14
Architecture Days – 6pm
Series of meetings (15/16-09) between Swedish and French architects organized by Architects Sweden in the framework of Swedish Secrets, a season dedicated to design at the Swedish Institute.
Afterwork for professionals and lovers of architecture: join four renowned Swedish architectural firms to reflect on the challenges of tomorrow’s architecture. A discussion over a drink punctuated by short presentations of their current or recent projects, revealing the processes behind each construction.
Swedish Institute⎢11 rue Payenne – Paris 3 (M° St-Paul)
Studio Open House – 6pm / 9:30pm
Cocktail Party at the end of the Press Day (11:00 am – 6:00 pm) of the Open House of the Cité Artisanale “Villa du Lavoir” (17/18-09), a creative ecosystem where craftsmen, object designers, textile designers, scenographers, jewelers rub shoulders and reveal the diversity of contemporary creation in the fields of fashion, design and arts and crafts.
To see, among others, the Design Studio of Élise Fouin (Atelier 04), William Amor, Karl Mazlo…
Cité Artisanale Villa du Lavoir⎢villa du Lavoir – Paris 10 (M° Jacques Bonsergent)
Saturday, September 17th
Sustainable heritage – 08h / 21h
Exhibition and conferences to promote sustainable heritage on the occasion of the European Heritage Days (17/18-09) on the theme of “Sustainable Heritage”. Event organized with the support of the French Craft Guild to discover craftsmen and designers preserving and enhancing resources through an approach oriented towards environmentally friendly production.
Classical concert as a bonus!
Dosne-Thiers Foundation⎢27 pl. St-Georges – Paris 9 (M° St-Georges)
Manufacture Degrenne – 10am / 4pm
Open Day within a marked out course. Meeting with those who give life to steel coils. Polishers, engravers… share the unique industrial expertise of the Maison Degrenne.
Ephemeral restaurant for a gourmet break.
Manufacture Degrenne⎢rue Guy Degrenne – Vire 14
Notre-Dame de Paris – 10am / 6pm
Construction site village on the cathedral square (17/18-09): dive into the heart of the first restoration operations of Notre-Dame de Paris and exchange with the various trades mobilized for the 39th edition of the Heritage Days.
Parvis Notre-Dame⎢pl. Jean-Paul II – Paris 4 (M° Cité)
State(s) of Matter – JEP – 12h / 18h
Opening to the public, on the occasion of the European Heritage Days, of the exhibition État(s) de Matière (17-09/01-10), creations of the winners of its Matière(s) 2022 grant, based on cut stone with a great diversity of techniques and practices.
Initiation to stone cutting during one-hour workshops at the Espace Richaud (11am / 2:30pm & 4pm) led by an artist-resident of the Verrecchia Endowment Fund or a stone cutter – Compagnon du devoir.
Concert by the artist Kuamen (6pm).
Château de La Maye⎢49 rue du Parc de Clagny – Versailles 78
Departure of the Porte Maillot shuttle – 11:15 a.m.
Monument – 12:30 pm
Opening of “Monument, 40 years of photography at the CRP (Centre régional de la photographie)” (17-09/06-11) on the occasion of the anniversary of this experimental laboratory around the medium, applied to defend a demanding and radical photography.
As a prelude or introduction to a series of sixteen exhibitions devoted to the collection, “Monument” marks the event by honoring those who have contributed to the history of photography, as well as that of this special place.
Concert of the Harmonie de Douchy-les-Mines.
CRP⎢pl. des Nations – Douchy-les-Mines 59
JEP at MAC VAL – 2pm / 5pm
The European Heritage Days at the MAC VAL (17/18-09), two days of multidisciplinary programming initiated by the artists and discovery of unusual places, such as the exceptional visit of the museum’s reserves.
Program here
MAC VAL⎢pl. de la Libération – Vitry-sur-Seine 94
Architectural Carte Blanche – 2pm / 6pm
Carte blanche to Didier Cornille, the designer and author-illustrator who loves to play with architecture, to close the family exhibition “Architectures en boîte” (>19-09).
Workshops and small family conversation with Didier Cornille in person.
Program here
Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine⎢1 pl. du Trocadéro – Paris 16 (M° Trocadéro)
Contemporary Art Fair – 2pm / 10pm
A whirlwind of works of art, strong sensations and ephemeral pleasures, imagined with forty artists from all over the world, the Foire Foraine d’Art Contemporain (17-09/29-01-23) is not only an exhibition.
A multi-sensory fair between giddiness and cotton candy, ghost train and games of skill, ice palaces and cabinets of curiosities, psychedelic trips and game machines. An artistic party where it is forbidden not to touch the works, where you play with art and where art plays with you!
Artistic direction : José-Manuel Gonçalvès and Fabrice Bousteau.
Register here
CentQuatre⎢5 rue Curial – Paris 19 (M° Riquet)
Behind the scenes of the creation – 2:30 pm
Masterclass within the framework of the installation-experience Shiny Gold ” Behind the scenes of creation – Nelly Ben Hayoun “. A privileged moment of exchange and presentation, Nelly Ben Hayoun opens the doors of her imagination and shares her sources of inspiration as well as the processes of fabrication of her installation, performance and film projects.
Register here
Pylones⎢12 pl. de la Bastille Cour Damoye – Paris 11 (M° Bréguet-Sabin)
Sunday, September 18th
State(s) of Matter – JEP – 11am & 4pm
Cycle of round tables at the Atelier Numérique in Versailles about the place of women in art and crafts and the influence between artistic creation and innovation.
“How can creativity benefit innovation?” : exchange between Compagnons du Devoir, artists, architects and art historians around what artistic creativity can bring to the field of innovation, research and sustainable design.
“The place of women in contemporary creation”: exchange around the place of women in artistic and craft practices still mainly perceived as masculine. In the presence of artists and directors of cultural venues
Château de La Maye⎢49 rue du Parc de Clagny – Versailles 78 (M° Iéna)
Departure of the Porte Maillot shuttle – 11:15 a.m.
JEP – Closing PDW – 11am & 4pm
On the occasion of the European Heritage Days, Café Mulot proposes to celebrate the French culinary heritage. Last day of installation of the Paris Design Week project.
Café Mulot⎢6 pl. des Vosges – Paris 4 (M° Bastille)
THE NEXT DAY’S CHRONICLES
Surrounded by the plastic seats in the reserves of the Mobilier National, Orria (the page of a book, in Basque) and its manufacturing process offers itself to the avid eyes of very privileged reporters.
All came to listen to Hervé Lemoine, director of the Mobilier National, Laurence Engel, President of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Patrick Jouin and Eki Solorzano from Atelier Alki.
By Claire Germouty
The project of a chair designed for the Richelieu reading room – the Oval Room of the Richelieu Quadrilateral, “the historical cradle of the BNF” – in Paris, was initiated by the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BNF), which wished to renew its relationship with the Mobilier National around large public commissions.
The guiding principle of this competition, launched by two major public institutions, was to get away from the myth of the unique, exceptional piece, to think about the mass production, because ” that’s what keeps creation alive in the field of design “, as Hervé Lemoine points out.
The president of the BNF, Laurence Engel, recalled that the initial idea was for this creation to become a common object, so that everyone could say that this chair in the Richelieu Room was a good instrument for working at home. ” We want to invite the public to build their own story with this chair, which we obviously hope will become iconic.
Patrick Jouin, winner of this competition launched in 2020, also likes to recall the meaning of the designer’s work, concerned as he is to defend French know-how, as well as the French furniture industry. ” It is up to us to demonstrate that designers must first draw and work for French industrial design. This is the essence of their business “.
Then the designer took the time to detail his project, all in the joy of unveiling this light and stackable wooden chair.
” The idea of wood was immediately obvious to us, because it crosses time and links styles. We wanted a chair that was sober and light, discreet enough to slip into such an emblematic place without dissonance, while telling its time. As for oak, it is the French wood par excellence. It’s an incredible wood, it takes a long time to grow, it goes through storms, droughts, but it stands up, and when you cut it, there’s all this energy that comes out, it’s a wonderful wood, even if it’s not easy to work with.
“Then we were guided by usage. For the visitor and the reader, so that he can sit comfortably, but also pull out his chair and move it without it noisily scraping the floor, and then the use of those who will maintain this wonderful place, day after day. Here again, lightness makes sense, it was necessary to be able to stack these chairs easily, to lift them to vacuum them, by putting them on the table by the armrests, without excessive effort. It is the use that pushed us to go so far in the lightness and fineness, but also the technology and the new sawing equipment. We could not have achieved such a fine foundation fifty years ago. When I tested the first prototype, I trembled at the thought that it would break at the first stacking. The industrialists and the cabinetmakers have done wonderfully!
In 2022, the assembly is so precise… it feels like the chair has grown out of the tree!”
