Le Corbusier, Jeanneret, and Perriand, LC5 Sofa

LE CORBUSIER; PIERRE JEANNERET (Genoa, 1896–1967), CHARLOTTE PERRIAND (France, 1903–1999) for CASSINA.
LC5 couch/sofa with Chrome-plated tubular steel frame, loose cushions upholstered in grey fabric. Marked Cassina, engraved with identification number. Designed in 1928.
Some signs of wear and patina.
Produced by Cassina.
Measurements: 71 x 200 x 75 cm. 37 cm. (seat height).

Designed in 1928 by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, and Charlotte Perriand, the LC5 reflects the principles of the Modern Movement as applied to furniture: functionality, structural clarity, and the use of industrial materials. Its low, distinctly horizontal profile, combined with the visual lightness of the metal frame, gives it an architectural and timeless aesthetic. Later produced by Cassina, the Italian firm authorized to manufacture numerous designs by the trio, the LC5 is a representative piece of the renewal of European furniture spearheaded by these designers during the interwar period.

A Swiss architectural theorist, architect, designer, and painter who became a naturalized French citizen, Le Corbusier is considered one of the most prominent exponents of the Modern Movement in architecture and one of the most influential architects of the 20th century. He developed a new architectural style based on five principles that would prove key to the discipline’s development from that point forward: the open floor plan, the garden terrace, the “pilotis,” the ribbon window, and the free facade. Among his most notable architectural projects are the Swiss Pavilion at the Cité Universitaire in Paris, the Unité d’Habitation in Marseille, and the Notre-Dame-du-Haut Chapel. In Ronchamp. As a furniture designer, Le Corbusier created his first pieces alongside Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand, gaining definitive recognition at the 1925 Paris Exposition of Decorative Arts. Even his earliest chairs and armchairs were designed with comfort in mind and based on anthropometric studies that ensured complete adaptability to the body. The first design Le Corbusier created, together with Jeanneret and Perriand, was the LC1 chair, introduced in 1928 and characterized by a height-adjustable backrest that allowed the user to choose the most comfortable posture. He continued to work in this vein, and at the 1929 Autumn Design Salon he presented his LC4 chaise longue, a purist and radical design that has since become a classic. Equally well-known are his LC2, LC3, and LC5 designs—one-, two-, and three-seater sofas intended to revolutionize the mass production of modern furniture. We should also highlight his designs for stools and dining chairs, such as the LC7, presented at the 1929 Autumn Design Salon, and the LC8. Le Corbusier, Jeanneret, and Perriand sought to design furniture for every room in the house, and thus created pieces such as the LC9, a very simple bathroom stool with a fabric seat. Le Corbusier also created other types of furniture, such as tables and bookshelves. His designs are currently produced by the Italian company Cassina and are featured in major collections such as those at MoMA in New York and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.