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Laffanour I Galerie Downtown

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France
Paris
Laffanour I Galerie Downtown

Since 1982 — Charlotte Perriand, Jean Prouvé, Pierre Jeanneret, Le Corbusier and 20th-century architects and designers.

Depuis son ouverture au début des années 80, la galerie Downtown, créée par François Laffanour, a exploré, montré au fil de ses expositions, et réhabilité un domaine laissé en friche, celui du mobilier d’architectes du XXe siècle. Créateurs – architectes pour la plupart – européens et américains qui, au lendemain de la seconde guerre mondiale, ont apporté une autre conception dans l’art de se meub

ler, dictée par un besoin de liberté et d’efficacité, au service d’un nouvel art de vivre dans une époque de développement technologique et scientifique. La galerie Downtown détient également les archives de la galerie Steph Simon qui, de 1956 à 1974, vendait le mobilier de Charlotte Perriand, Jean Prouvé, Serge Mouille, Georges Jouve, Le Corbusier ou encore Isamu Noguchi.Depuis 2004, la galerie Downtown a l’exclusivité pour les meubles de Ron Arad. Galerie Downtown – François Laffanour specializes in furniture by European and American masters of design – most of them architects – of the 20th century. For the past twenty five years, the gallery has organized thematic and monographic exhibitions on designers such as Jean Prouvé, Le Corbusier, Charles and Ray Eames, Carlo Mollino and Charlotte Perriand. Shortly after the Second World War, this generation of designers brought a new concept to the art of furnishing, dictated by a need for freedom and functionality – a new « art de vivre » in a time of technological and scientific advances – creating for the first time forms that were pure and without ornament. Galerie Downtown owns also the Galerie Steph Simon archives. Steph Simon was the producer of Charlotte Perriand, Jean Prouvé, Serge Mouille, Georges Jouve as well as Isamu Noguchi furniture, from 1956 to 1974. Since 2004, galerie Downtown has the exclusive rights for the Ron Arad’s Furniture.

17/06/2026

Condutex by Joana Vasconcelos, 2008

Part of the artist’s celebrated Conduits series, Condutex exemplifies Joana Vasconcelos’ singular ability to transform everyday materials into monumental sculptural forms. Combining galvanized iron conduit with hand-knitted and crocheted wool, fabrics, embroideries, and polyester, the work blurs the boundaries between craft, contemporary art, and architecture.

Emerging from industrial pipework, the colorful textile forms appear to invade and contaminate the surrounding space. Oscillating between the familiar and the uncanny, they evoke organic bodies, vertebrae, or hidden networks concealed beneath architectural structures.

Through this tension between softness and structure, ornament and construction, Joana Vasconcelos challenges the rational order of architecture while celebrating the expressive potential of traditional craft techniques.

On view at MAZE Design Basel 2026.

15/06/2026

Welcome at MAZE Design Basel 2026!

Set within the neo-Gothic architecture of the Offene Kirche Elisabethen, our booth brings together a curated selection of historic works by Charlotte Perriand, Pierre Jeanneret, Jean Royère, Isamu Noguchi and José Zanine Caldas, alongside contemporary artworks by Richard Texier, Joana Vasconcelos and Jeremy Jaspers.

Highlights include Charlotte Perriand’s iconic ‘Mexique’ bookshelf (1953), Pierre Jeanneret’s ‘Low Compass’ ensemble created for Chandigarh, Jean Royère’s sculptural ‘Polar bear’ sofa, and a group of Akari light sculptures by Isamu Noguchi.
presents Design Basel
14–18 June 2026
Offene Kirche Elisabethen, Basel

© Studio Shapiro

11/06/2026

‘Low Compass’ set by Pierre Jeanneret, ca. 1955

Designed for the High Court of Chandigarh, this ‘Low Compass’ ensemble — composed of a bench and two armchairs — embodies Pierre Jeanneret’s distinctive approach to furniture design. Its celebrated compass-shaped legs and solid teak construction reflect the architectural rigor that characterizes the furnishings created for Le Corbusier’s modernist city.

Among Pierre Jeanneret’s most iconic creations, the model is distinguished by its characteristic compass-shaped legs, whose structural clarity reflects the architect’s rigorous approach to design. Crafted in solid teak and reupholstered in camel-colored calfskin, this ensemble combines architectural strength with a remarkable sense of warmth and comfort.

On view at MAZE Design Basel, June 14–18, 2026.

For inquiries — DM us or contact: [email protected]

06/06/2026

Table by Charlotte Perriand, 1969

A rare small-scale version of Charlotte Perriand’s iconic dining tables, this model exemplifies the designer’s enduring pursuit of balance between architectural rigor and material warmth.

The rectangular mahogany top rests on four distinctive ovoid legs, a sculptural solution that transforms a functional piece into a work of remarkable presence. Stripped of ornament, the table expresses Charlotte Perriand’s belief that beauty emerges naturally from proportion, craftsmanship, and the honest use of materials.

Produced by Steph Simon as a special commission, this piece belongs to the mature period of Charlotte Perriand’s career, when her furniture achieved an exceptional synthesis of modernity, elegance, and everyday functionality.

Both refined and timeless, the table embodies Charlotte Perriand’s unique ability to create forms that are at once monumental and deeply human.

For inquiries — DM us or contact: [email protected]

04/06/2026

‘High Court Down' chairs by Pierre Jeanneret, ca. 1955–1956

Designed for the High Court building in Chandigarh, these exceptional lounge chairs embody Pierre Jeanneret’s distinctive contribution to one of the most ambitious architectural projects of the twentieth century.

This rare pair is distinguished by its generous dimensions and its upholstery in white pony skin covering the seat, backrest, and armrests, lending the pieces a remarkable presence while enhancing their sculptural quality.

Created as part of the furnishings commissioned for the new capital of Punjab, the model reflects Pierre Jeanneret’s ability to combine architectural rigor with a profound understanding of comfort and human scale. The solid teak structure, characterized by its powerful geometry and carefully balanced proportions, exemplifies the designer’s mastery of construction and material.

Currently on view: 18 rue de Seine, 75006 Paris

For inquiries — DM us or contact: [email protected]

02/06/2026

The gallery is pleased to announce its participation in the second edition of MAZE Design Basel.

Presented within the remarkable neo-Gothic architecture of the Offene Kirche Elisabethen, opposite the Kunsthalle Basel, the exhibition brings together a selection of historic works by Charlotte Perriand, Pierre Jeanneret, Jean Royère, Isamu Noguchi, José Zaniné Caldas and Richard Texier.

Join us during Art Basel week.
presents Design Basel
14–18 June 2026
Offene Kirche Elisabethen, Basel

30/05/2026

‘Committee’ armchairs by Pierre Jeanneret, ca. 1960

Conceived to furnish the newly planned Indian capital alongside Le Corbusier’s monumental architecture, the chairs combines functional simplicity with a powerful sculptural presence. Its solid teak structure reveals Pierre Jeanneret’s mastery of proportion and construction, while the generous armrests and distinctive angular lines give the piece its unmistakable character.

This example retains its exceptional original green skai upholstery, beautifully contrasting with the warmth of the teak and preserving the authenticity of its period use.

Balancing comfort, utility, and architectural rigor, the armchairs embodies the spirit of Chandigarh — where furniture was conceived not as decoration, but as an integral extension of modern living and civic space.

For inquiries — DM us or contact: [email protected]

28/05/2026

‘Standard’ chairs by Jean Prouvé, ca. 1950

Developed during the 1930s and refined throughout the following decades, the chair responds to a simple engineering principle: the rear legs bear most of the weight and therefore require greater strength. Jean Prouvé translated this observation into a distinctive silhouette composed of folded black lacquered steel sheet legs supporting a wooden seat and backrest.

Balancing industrial rigor with visual lightness, the ‘Standard’ chair became a landmark of postwar French modernism and remains one of the clearest expressions of Jean Prouvé’s dialogue between architecture, engineering, and everyday use.

For inquiries — DM us or contact: [email protected]

26/05/2026

‘Armée du Salut’ table by Le Corbusier, ca. 1933

Designed for the iconic Armée du Salut building in Paris, this table reflects Le Corbusier’s pursuit of functional clarity and architectural precision applied at every scale of design.

Reduced to its essential elements, the piece combines a rectangular oak top with four slender metal legs, expressing a restrained modernist vocabulary where proportion, utility, and structure exist in perfect balance.

Originally conceived as part of the furnishing program for the Cité de Refuge — one of Le Corbusier’s most socially ambitious architectural projects — the table embodies the architect’s vision of modern living through rational and elegant forms.

Both discreet and rigorously constructed, the ‘Armée du Salut’ table stands as a testament to Le Corbusier’s ability to translate architectural principles into timeless everyday objects.

For inquiries — DM us or contact: [email protected]

23/05/2026

Private collection, New York

- Green ‘Ours Polaire’ sofa by Jean Royère, ca. 1950
- Stools by Charlotte Perriand, ca. 1960

Set within a wider ensemble, these post-war works unfold in dialogue with the ‘Ammonite’ coffee table by Maria Pergay (1972), and a work by Christopher Wool, where sculptural softness meets conceptual rigor, articulating a fluid continuity between French decorative modernism and contemporary artistic practice.

Adresse

18 Rue De Seine
Paris
75006

Heures d'ouverture

Mardi	10:30 - 19:00
Mercredi	10:30 - 19:00
Jeudi	10:30 - 19:00
Vendredi	10:30 - 19:00
Samedi	10:30 - 19:00

Site Web

http://www.galeriedowntown.com/

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