Pierre Paulin

Born in Paris in 1927, Pierre Paulin was a designer who left his mark on the industry. He began his career as a stone sculptor and ceramicist but injured his wrist. Paulin then went on to study interior design at the École Camondo in the early 1950s. He subsequently travelled to Scandinavia and the United States, where he met many leading figures in the world of design.

Having drawn on a range of influences, such as Ray and Charles Eames and George Nelson, he presented himself as someone who valued the functionality of his designs whilst always adding ‘a touch of poetry’ to his work.

He is best known for his collaboration with the Dutch furniture company Artifort, which began in 1958. For them, he created his most iconic pieces, such as the famous Mushroom chair in 1959, known for having no visible seams whilst retaining its rounded shape. It is now part of the permanent collection at MoMA in New York. One of his biggest projects was the interior design of the Élysée Palace for President George Pompidou in 1970, and then in 1983 for François Mitterrand’s office.

The Danish interior design company Gubi has reissued one of Pierre Paulin’s flagship collections: the Pacha armchairs. When Pierre Paulin drew the sketches for the Pacha armchair, his vision was to create the sensation of sitting on clouds. Considered somewhat too far ahead of its time in 1975, Gubi decided to revive the timeless Pacha collection. The swivel version of the Pacha Lounge chair offers additional ergonomic flexibility. – and at the same height, the ottoman extends the chair’s comfort by providing an even more relaxed seating position, whilst also functioning as a casual seat in its own right.