09/10/2026
The Curves of Brazilian Modernism: Onda, Marquesa and Copan Benches
The curve has long been an important element of Brazilian furniture design, closely tied to the architectural language of Brazilian modernism and its exploration of fluid, expressive forms.
Designed by Jorge Zalszupin in 1960, when L’Atelier was producing furniture for public buildings in Brasília, Brazil’s newly built capital, the Onda Bench reflects this relationship. A continuous sheet of molded wood forms the seat and extends into a leather magazine holder. Today, Etel reissues the piece.
In 1974, Oscar Niemeyer and his daughter Anna Maria designed the Marquesa Bench, bringing the curves so present in Niemeyer’s architecture into furniture. Its long, sweeping frame and woven cane seat give the piece a sense of movement while keeping its construction remarkably simple. The Marquesa is also reissued by Etel.
Ronald Sasson’s Copan Bench, designed in 2019, makes the architectural reference explicit. Named after Niemeyer’s Edifício Copan in São Paulo, its solid wood form echoes the rhythmic curves of the building’s façade.
Designed nearly six decades apart, the Onda, Marquesa, and Copan benches show how the curve continues to reappear in Brazilian design, interpreted by different designers, and through different materials and at different moments. All the while, they maintain a close relationship between form, structure, and movement.
1, 2: Marquesa Bench — Oscar Niemeyer, 1974 | Reissued by Etel
3, 4: Onda Bench — Jorge Zalszupin, 1960 | Reissued by Etel
5, 6: Copan Bench — Ronald Sasson, 2019
Photos by , ,
