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The LC2 Petit Modele Armchair is probably one of the best-known and most successful objects from the legendary Le Corbusier furniture collection. With its squishy, ??inviting cushions, the armchair invites you to sit down and relax. The LC2 was designed as a fresh, modern take on the comfy, cumbersome armchairs found in elite men’s clubs.
story
The LC2 was designed in 1928 and was given the spotlight a year later at the Salon d’Automne in Paris. It comes from the furniture collection that emerged from the collaboration between Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand and Le Corbusier’s cousin Pierre Jeanneret.
In 1928, Le Corbusier, who was known mainly as a modernist architect and town planner under the influence of Perriand, began to occupy himself with furniture design.
While working on the furniture line, Le Corbusier successfully implemented his architectural philosophy of placing the needs of humanity at the center of his designs. As a result, the LC2 Petit Modele Armchair is perfectly tailored to the ideas of rest and relaxation.
design
The “pillow basket”, as its creators used to call it their new armchair, was the result of the challenge to redesign the concept of the 19th century English armchair. The aim of the designers was to create a very inviting and extremely comfortable armchair that remains true to the minimalist principles of the international style developed by none other than Le Corbusier. Any decorative features or bourgeois shapes are withheld from the LC2 in favor of elegant simplicity and functionality. The design is reduced to the essentials and makes the shape of the armchair very minimalist and pure.
One of the most distinctive features of the LC2 is its chrome-plated outer frame. It consists of the base grid and three tubular steel profiles with a circular cross-section. The front legs of the chair consist of a single tube that also surrounds the entire perimeter of the chair and supports the cushions. In the original chair, this element did not have sharp corners due to the bending process used in its manufacture. With a wide variety of imitations, however, this element consists of several individual pieces that are then welded together at a 45-degree angle, making the corners look sharp. The rear legs consist of two vertical tubes that are welded to the circumferential tube. All four legs are provided with nickel-plated steel glides and spanned with thin, circular rods. It improves the structural strength of the armchair and makes it more robust. The final element of the frame is the horizontal grate, welded to the legs, which holds all the cushioning above the floor.
The entire frame forms a basket that holds very thick and elastic square cushions. They are made from the multi-density composite foam and are available either as a down or as a dacron wrap version. There are five pillows in total; two serve as armrests, one as a backrest and two as a seat. The cushions are upholstered in semi-aniline leather with the highest grain, which is available in six colors, including the following: anthracite, chocolate, dark brown, graphite, tobacco and white.
The LC2 offers an excellent level of comfort and relaxation. However, it does not only cater to one’s own physiological needs, but also appeals to the most sublime tastes of every esthete. The overall appearance of the armchair is extremely appealing and stylish. It’s very proportional and well balanced and the use of the outer frame makes it look both airy and light. Even today, almost nine decades after its presentation, when modernity is no longer an extravagant or radical concept, the LC2 has neither aged nor become banal. It still looks fresh and contemporary.
