LC3 Armchair

Le corbusier LC3 armchair by Corbusier from Cassina

The Corbusier group referred to their Sofa Collections (1928) as "cushion baskets," which they designed as a modernist response to the traditional club chair. These pieces reverse the standard structures of sofas and chairs by having frames that are externalized. With thick, resilient pillows resting within the steel frames, the idea was to offer all the comfort of a padded surface while applying the elegant minimalism and industrial rationale of the International Style. The resulting aesthetic of the Corbusier Grand Modele Armchair's simple tubular structure is remarkably relevant to how we live today, almost 90 years later.

The LC3 Fauteuil Grand Confort, grand modèle family includes a two-seat sofa, three-seat sofa and armchair with armrests or with a single armrest, steel structure with polished chrome finish or painted in the hues of the color palette of the collection.

The separation between the loadbearing metal structure and the cushions, reminiscent of the architectural relationship between the concrete skeleton and the in-fill paneling, is consistent with the principles of rationalism.

Material & Feature:

Frame structure: highly polished #304 grade tubular stainless steel frame with chrome and black powder coated finish; nylon webbing (replaceable)

High elasticity dacron-wrapped foam with extra genuine down feather layer

Medium firm cushion seat feel (cushion softness customizable)

Top Grain/Aniline Leather upholstery (C.O.M available)

All the cushions are removable

All materials are fire-resistant & non-toxic (Baby friendly)

Customization available - Request with Customer Service

Dimensions:

Armchair: Width: 40.9" x Depth: 29.1" x Height: 26"

Seat Cushion: Width: 26.8" x Depth: 20.5"

Seat Height: 16.1"

Seat Depth: 18.5"

Armrest Thickness: 8.6"

DESIGN STORY

The LC3 Armchair is part of a series of avant-garde furniture created by Le Corbusier in collaboration with his cousin and fellow designer Pierre Jeanneret and the, then, aspiring designer Charlotte Perriand. This collaboration lasted for several years and resulted in a wide range of furniture designs which have evolved into popular and much over furniture design classics. Owing to the popularity of the LC3 and the other objects in the LC collection they are also very popular with plagiarists; consequently the Italian manufacturer Cassina places very high value on accurate labelling of furniture. In addition to the LC3 Armchair, a slightly narrower LC2 Armchair is also available, as is the classic LC3 Sofa or the LC1 Armchair , which without the padded cushions of its near relatives allows its reduced tubular steel frame to take centre stage. By contrast, the LC3 Armchair seems to consist only of padding, something which can be readily taken as a visual confirmation of its comfort. Or put another way, it is hard to resist the urge to drop in the LC3! In addition to the fulsome cushions the Le Corbusier classic also boasts a tubular steel cage, which holds the 4 large pillows which form the seat, back and armrests. Available with a chrome plated or matt black frame and individually selectable, coloured upholstery fabrics the Le Corbusier armchair has enchanted and fascinated since its creation in 1928 and is a genuine timeless seating experience for any space.

The world famous designer Le Corbusier

With the various models of Fauteuil Grand Confort, grand modèle, the concept of modernity is expressed through the separation between the metal support frame and the upholstered elements. The loose cushions are set inside a painted or chrome-plated tubular steel cage that forms the primary support for the piece in all its variations ‒ from the armchair with armrest on one or both sides, to the two- and three-seat sofas. Over the years, Cassina has worked very closely with Charlotte Perriand, her daughter Pernette and the Fondation Le Corbusier to introduce new versions and finishes that, while reinterpreting the original design, remain faithful to its authentic nature.

These models are also available in an eco-friendly version. Thanks to a study conducted by Cassina LAB, a partnership between the Cassina Research and Development Center and the Poli.design consortium of the Politecnico University in Milan, the foam-fill parts, the padding in the cushions and the tubular structure are produced with sustainable materials and processes.

DESIGNER

As one of the most influential architects of the 20th century the Swiss architect Le Corbusier remains one of the best known and most easily recognisable designers. Born in 1887 in the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel as Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, Le Corbusier initially undertook an apprenticeship in repoussé and engraving before increasingly turning to paining and architecture. A man of many and varied interests, Le Corbusier worked as an architect and architectural theorist, city planner, draughtsman, painter and furniture designer. And in all that he did his designs and styles were always just ahead of their time; and thus controversial. As one of the most prominent personalities of his time Le Corbusier not only stood out in context of the style of his work, but also through his characteristic and unfamiliar personal style and his strong personality. It is probably fair to say that no one saw the approaching future quite as clearly as Le Corbusier, and no one was so assured in stating such as Le Corbusier; a state of affairs which saw many a contemporary critic denounce him as an arrogant megalomaniac. But one thing is indisputable: without such a pioneering head of modernity classics such as the LC3 Armchair simply would not exist. Although Le Corbusier didn't work alone on the design, it is often referred to as being his work; however it was created in cooperation with his cousin Pierre Jeanneret and the young designer Charlotte Perriand. And beyond the Cassina armchair the trio were to produce a collection of furniture which has not only stood up to the challenges of changing times to remain aesthetically pleasing objects but which remain as loved and as popular as ever.

The LC Collection from Cassina features numerous types of designer furniture.

The LC3 Armchair from Cassina

PRODUCTION

The LC3 Armchair is, and as with all other objects of the LC Collection, produced by the Italian design manufacturer Cassina according to original designs by Le Corbusier. Despite contemporary industrial standards, the production at Cassina maintains a focus on the artisanal: the combination of traditional manufacturing skills and contemporary technology not only makes Cassina products unique but is also your guarantee of the objects quality and thus their longevity. Within the production process nothing is left to chance - a unique bar code accompanies each piece of furniture through the individual production stages and also allows the end user to, at any time, view the current state of their order and thus to ascertain the timely delivery. The Cassina LC3 Armchair is such a quality product, comprising as it does a stable steel frame ably complemented by fulsome upholstered cushions, but for all being as it is the result of a combination of modern technology with proven craftsmanship, including, for example the fact that the fabrics and leather are checked by hand for defects before being precisely cut by laser guided machines which not only avoid any damaged areas but also ensure optimal use of the material and thus reduce waste.

The designers Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

With products such as the Cassina LC3 Armchair and the other objects from the Cassina collection, but also with his general theories of architecture, buildings and design Le Corbusier was groundbreaking for his time. Clear and straight lines in artistic works that today naturally shape our image of living spaces and houses, were among a whole new flow of modernity, which Le Corbusier helped nudge forwards as an opposition movement to Art Deco. Down with the ornate organic forms of the period and on towards an enlightened future was the motto, a motto perfectly embodied in the LC Collektion as well as in the majority of the works realised at the Bauhaus. Logic, clarity and reduced, functional forms should define the form of architecture and design; while parallel progressive industrialization offered a way to inexpensively produce furniture in great quantities, a fact which further encouraged many of the protagonists of the era. Nevertheless, the concentration on traditional craftsmanship remained a focal point in the creative work of the time. These, albeit very different developments, are also reflected in the LC series produced today by Cassina according to original designs by Le Corbusier: industrial materials such as the steel pipe, a material used in many designs of the Bauhaus, including Thonet Cantilever, combined with natural materials such as leather and which is processed by hand to the highest standard.

MANUFACTURER

The Italian manufacturer Cassina, headquartered near Milan, was founded in 1927, i.e. 2 years before the first public exhibition of the LC Collection at the Paris Salon d'Automne. There are arguably only very few terms which so completely define Italian design as the name Cassina: a company globally acknowledged for its exclusive use of high quality materials and range of timeless design classics and innovative aesthetic products. Having made a name for itself with the furnishings for luxury liners and cruise ships Cassina remained a very successful manufacturer, before in the 1950s they began to move increasingly into the field of contemporary furniture design. At first the customer base of the traditional Italian company expanded to include a number of luxury hotels and boutiques, before the possibilities offered by industrialisation and the combination of traditional craftsmanship and cost-effective mass production made Cassina a global player and one of the world's leading furniture manufacturers. Around the same time the company began the production of the first Corbusier furniture, a collection which today features objects such as the LC3 Armchair or the LC1 Armchair. Cassina holds the exclusive rights to the Le Corbusier furniture collection, and confirm the originality of every piece through stamping their own logo, the signature of the designer and a unique identification number onto every piece. The designs of Le Corbusier are included in the Cassina "I Maestri" collection, a collection which contains works of numerous furniture design masters and which stands besides the "I Contemporanei" series, which, as its name suggests, consists of furniture by contemporary artists.