As far as designer star power goes, the Beaubourg chair just may top the list for its contributors.
First conceived by prizewinning architects Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano in the early 1970s for the Centre Pompidou, the pair’s groundbreaking modern art museum and event space in Paris, the chair design was ultimately completed by Michel Cadestin (b. 1942) and Georges Laurent (1886–1964). The work was crowned the winner of a competition judged by none other than the legendary French metalworker and designer Jean Prouvé, himself no stranger to revered furniture pieces.
The final Beaubourg chair design, first produced in 1976 by Teda and named for the Centre Pompidou’s neighborhood (and the museum project’s working title), marries a supple leather seat and back with a frame of latticed stainless steel, joined together with simple metal studs. The metal form echoes the skeletal architecture of the Pompidou itself — the “inside-out” appearance of which, with its arrangement of multicolored pipes and electrical components positioned prominently on the building’s exterior, caused a wide range of reactions in Paris and in the design and architecture communities at large. National Geographic, for its part, famously claimed the building elicited “love at second sight,”' while a critic at The Guardian called it “hideous.”
In addition to the Beaubourg chair, Laurent and Cadestin devised a bench version in the 1970s. Both models were installed in the Centre Pompidou at its opening in 1977 but have since been replaced throughout the museum. No longer in production, the chairs live on as popular collector’s items, significant for both their distinctive design and their indelible connection to one of the most important buildings of postmodernism.
Karaté armchairs michel Cadestin airborne
By Michel Cadestin
Located in PARIS, FR
paire de fauteuils de karaté attribué à michel Cadestin pour Airborne en fibre de verre ; Le tissu est un velours d'alpaga dans les tons caramel de la maison jab Ils sont pivotants ...
Metal
$6,666 / set
H 35.44 in W 15.75 in D 94.49 in
Set of Sofa, Armchair and Pouf by Michele Cadestin for Airbone, France 1970s
By Michel Cadestin
Located in Roma, IT
Set of sofa, armchair and pouf is an original design artwork realized by Michele Cadestin for Airbone, France in 1970s. The set includes a 2...
Leather, Wood
Paire de Fauteuils Karaté
By Michel Cadestin
Located in Paris, FR
Set of armchairs with fiberglass shell and leather seat.
Leather, Fiberglass
$26,892 / set
H 25.99 in W 29.53 in D 31.89 in
Italian Space Age Additional System armchairs by Joe Colombo for Sormani, 1970s
By Sormani, Joe Colombo
Located in MIlano, IT
Pair of armchairs model Additional System, with aluminum base and six cushions each, with rounded edges and of different sizes, placed side by side and connected to each other by hoo...
Aluminum
Maurice Calka Pair of Space Age K1 Lounge Chairs, France 1970's
By Maurice Calka
Located in New York, NY
Rare pair of K1 lounge chairs for Alpha Industries. Maurice Calka is well known for his outlandish fiberglass boomerang desks, but this pair of chairs is a perfect example of his creativity. The shell is formed aluminum resting on a chrome-plated solid steel base that was directly inspired by the steering wheel of another french icon, the Citroen DS. All original finish and upholstery. Alpha Industries produced approximately 50 chairs.
Chrome
$11,495 / set
H 28 in W 41 in D 33 in
Vintage William Andrus for Steelcase Soft Lounge Chairs & Coffee Table Set
Located in Chicago, IL
A set of two William Andrus lounge chairs and matching coffee table from the Steelcase Soft Seating Group, 1972, one of the most significant American institutional furniture designs ...
Faux Leather, Glass, Lucite
$2,587 / set
H 29.53 in W 78.75 in D 31.5 in
Space Age Lounge Set by Morávek & Munzar, 4-Piece, Czechoslovakia 70s
Located in Żory, PL
Complete four-piece living room ensemble from former Czechoslovakia, circa 1970s. Includes a low-profile daybed sofa that folds out to a bed approx. 128x195 cm, two swivel lounge cha...
Steel
$16,383 / set
H 25.6 in W 30.71 in D 32.29 in
Modular Sectional Sofa Set by Peter Maly for Cor, Vintage Design, 1970
By COR, Peter Maly
Located in Saarbrücken, SL
Exceptional modular lounge set designed by Peter Maly, consisting of six freely configurable seating elements and a matching coffee table. The design is characterized by its clean ar...
Fabric, Bentwood
$3,614Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 31.5 in W 56.7 in D 26.38 in
Set of mid century french style SPACE AGE cocktail sofa and chairs - 1970s
Located in Praha, CZ
- Czechoslovakia, around 1970s - beautiful space age design - dimensiosn of chairs : height: 80cm, depth: 67, width: 63cm - the set is predestined to be newly upholstered in new tex...
Chrome
$4,350 / set
H 27.56 in W 28.35 in D 32.29 in
Cor Concha 4 Piece Space Age Modular Set by Jo Otterpohl, 1970
By COR
Located in Ludwigslust, DE
With the Concha program, Jo Otterpohl created one of the most distinctive German lounge furniture pieces of the 1970s for COR. The sculptural design language, the generously upholste...
Fabric, Wood
Orchidée modular lounge chairs by Michel Cadestin for Airborne, France
By Airborne International, Michel Cadestin
Located in Brussels, BE
This Space Age set includes five fiberglass armchairs and a matching ottoman, designed by Michel Cadestin in the late 1960s and produced by Airborne International. Each armchair h...
Fabric, Fiberglass
'Confidential' 2x 2-seater Sofas by Alberto Rosselli Saporiti
By Saporiti, Alberto Rosselli Saporiti
Located in Brussels, BE
The Confidential sofa stands as one of the most iconic creations in the history of Saporiti Italia. Designed in 1972 by Alberto Rosselli, it marked a turning point in modern furnitur...
Fabric, Polyester
Pair of Carlotta Lounge Chair by Tobia & Afra Scarpa for Cassina, Italy
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Cassina
Located in Brussels, BE
Set of two 'Carlotta' lounge chairs by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina. The minimalist structure features joined wood frames, providing a sturdy base for the two movable cushions....
Fabric, Wood
Pair of easy lounge chairs by George Coslin - 1960s
By George Coslin
Located in Brussels, BE
Pair of low armchairs with clean lines by Georges Coslin produced by Trevi Spa in the 1960s These armchairs feature a distinctive metal tubular structure that is provides durability...
Metal
'Seal' Armchairs by Ib Kolof Larsen
By Ib Kofod-Larsen
Located in Brussels, BE
One of Ib Kofod-Larsen’s most recognizable designs, The Seal armchair captures the essence of its time while remaining effortlessly timeless. Original leather in mint condition, ob...
Leather, Teak
Belgian 1960's pair of Loungechairs
Located in Brussels, BE
This stylish lounge chair features a sturdy black frame and supportive green leather straps that hold the curved, blue cushions made from a durable, comfortable fabric. It's the perf...
Leather, Beech
