Pierre Jeanneret - Modernist Architect And Designer

Pierre Jeanneret (1896-1967) was a Swiss architect and designer. Today, his chair designs in particular are gaining tremendous momentum on the design scene. He is best known for his contributions to the city of Chandigarh in India, where he designed numerous public buildings and landmarks.

Pierre Jeanneret was for many years a partner of his famous cousin Le Corbusier, with whom he worked closely. The two architects founded a joint office in Paris in 1922. Although he was always involved in many of the firm’s projects, to this day he remains in the shadow of his more famous cousin.

In February 1951, the two men began working together on the construction of the Indian city of Chandigarh. Jeanneret remained involved in the project for 15 years, until shortly before his death. For most of that time, he served as the city’s lead architect. He was primarily responsible for the city’s residential buildings, but also played an important role in interior design, particularly in the design of chairs – the now re-famous Kangourou chairs, now known only as the Jeanneret Chair.