History

Pierre-Jeanneret-in-chair-talking-to-Le-Corbusier-in-Chandigarh

The story behind the design

In the 1950's in Chandigarh, every chair carried an individual identification number, painted on the back to keep track of inventory.

Our chairs continue this tradition, each marked with a unique number. Not in paint, but with state-of-the-art deep laser engraving. This allows every chair to be traced from the source of the wood to its place in your home.

It also serves as a mark of authenticity, giving you the certainty that your chair is a genuine Object Embassy piece.

A new city for a new democracy

After India gained independence from Britain in 1947, the new government sought to make a powerful statement: a modern democracy deserved a modern capitol. In the 1950's, world-renowned architect Le Corbusier was commissioned to design a masterplan for a city that would become the new capitol of Punjab. The city was named Chandigarh.

Le Corbusier accepted the task and invited his cousin to join him. The Swiss architect and designer Pierre Jeanneret. The masterplan envisioned residential areas, office spaces, government buildings (including the Capitol Complex), and industrial zones. But there was a practical challenge: in this new city, there were no furniture shops to supply the homes, schools, or government offices.

Black-and-white-image-of-Pierre-Jeanneret-and-Le-Corbusier-in-pedal-boat-on-lake-in-Chandigarh-in-1950's

The Chandigarh collective

To solve this, a Design Office was established under the leadership of Pierre Jeanneret. This became known as the Chandigarh Collective: a team of talented Indian designers, architects, and model makers tasked with developing a distinctive line of furniture for the city. While they made tremendous impact on the design of the collection, their designs would become known as the Chandigarh Collection, or, under their leaders' name: Pierre Jeanneret.

Indian-official-working-at-office-with-Pierre-Jeanneret-furniture-in-Chandigarh

A modernist vision with local craft

The Chandigarh chairs and tables drew on modernist ideas from the Europe, while embracing local materials and production techniques. Solid teak was chosen for its durability, resistance to heat and moisture, and its stability in the region’s humidity. Hand-woven rattan provided lightness and comfort, perfectly suited to the needs of daily life in Chandigarh.

Pierre Jeanneret’s vision was to merge the clean lines of European Modernism and Mid-Century Design with techniques accessible to local carpenters and craftspeople. The drawings were intentionally designed to be adaptable: to be taken into workshops, interpreted, and adjusted with the tools and materials at hand.

Open-source design before its time

Because of this open approach, no two Chandigarh chairs were ever exactly the same. Local workshops produced variations, improvising details and proportions to suit their needs. Importantly, these designs were never licensed to a single manufacturer or trademarked by an individual. They were always meant to be made, used, and lived with by the people.

Today, many see the Chandigarh Collection as one of the first large-scale “open-source” design projects in history. It was furniture created for a community, by a community. Up until today this is still the case, and it has since become a true icon of modernist design.

See our chairs