Pierre Jeanneret Large Library Table PJ-TAT-08-A, Chandigarh, 1955

Pierre Jeanneret Large Library Table PJ-TAT-08-A, Chandigarh, 1955

Large Library Table model PJ-TAT-08-A, designed by Pierre Jeanneret for Chandigarh, India, circa 1955

The table is defined by its generously proportioned rectangular top, constructed in teak veneer and framed by a substantial solid teak apron. Its broad surface was design for communal reading and working, providing generous space while retaining the clear architectural character associated with Jeanneret’s Chandigarh furniture.

The table top rests on two robust angular side supports. These sculptural wooden structures slot beneath the tabletop and create a strong geometric silhouette, while leaving the area beneath the table visually open. The direct construction allows each structural element to remain clearly visible and gives the table an imposing yet balanced presence.

The PJ-TAT-08-A was developed as part of the extensive furniture programme created for Chandigarh’s civic and institutional buildings. Examples of this large library-table type were used within educational ,administrative or hospital interiors. The design reflects the practical requirements of these public commissions through its durable materials, substantial scale and straightforward construction.

Pierre Jeanneret (1896-1967) is recognised as a pivotal figure in modernism. His collaborations with his cousin Le Corbusier are especially significant, particularly their codification of modernist architectural principles in Five Points Towards a New Architecture (1926). Towards the end of their careers the pair also designed a utopian modernist city in India – Chandigarh, and Jeanneret designed some of his most celebrated furniture designs for the administrative buildings in the city.

Appears in the literature: “Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret: Chandigarh, India,” Galerie Patrick Seguin, pp. 248 – 249, 288 and “Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret: The Indian Adventure,” Touchaleaume and Moreau, p. 572.

Provenance: Nehru Hospital, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Administrative block 90, Chandigarh, India.