A journey through six decades of Cassina design via iconic pieces from three great masters

Under the title “Staging Modernity,” the legendary Italian firm Cassina has staged the iconic collection of Le Corbusier®, Jeanneret®, and Perriand® at its Cassina Store in Madrid (Calle Padilla, 21), aiming to “question modernity in the contemporary world.” Furthermore, this flagship store of the Italian designer in Madrid houses a new Cappellini space that brings together great classics from this label, such as the S Chair, an icon designed in the early 1990s by the prolific designer Tom Dixon, and the sculptural Proust chair by the great Alessandro Mendini, one of the most acclaimed design pieces in the world.

To reaffirm its commitment to promoting design culture, Cassina celebrates 60 years of production of the Le Corbusier®, Pierre Jeanneret®, Charlotte Perriand® Collection with special, limited editions of three pieces that have become undisputed design icons. This presentation on Padilla Street is inspired by the atmosphere of the theatrical performance and installation Staging Modernity, originally conceived by Formafantasma for the official program of Milan Design Week. With this new staging, the brand picks up the narrative thread in the windows of a carefully selected range of its most emblematic stores, including Dubai, London, Madrid, Paris, Seoul, and Stockholm.

The deep roots of Le Corbusier®, Jeanneret®, and Perriand®’s work in the philosophy of rationality and progress have been reinterpreted by the Formafantasma studio “not as a pristine vision of industrial perfection, but as something more open and porous. The space is populated with animal reproductions, breaking down the division between ‘human’ and ‘non-human,’ or between the modern and the wild,” the brand explains. Hence the prominent presence of bird and mammal reproductions in the installation.

Cassina celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Le Corbusier®, Jeanneret®, and Perriand® collection with limited editions of its first four models: the Fauteil Basculant (Reclining Armchair), the Grand Confort chairs in small and large sizes, and the Chaise Longue. These pieces are available in three new colors—red, blue, and green—upholstered in mohair velvet and leather. Developed in collaboration with the Le Corbusier Foundation and the heirs, these pieces are part of the sustainable “durable” series and offer a contemporary update that highlights the importance of color. Their lacquered frames in red, blue, and green with a glossy finish are paired with ton-on mohair velvet for the armchairs and self-supporting leather for the chaise longue and reclining armchair.

As a bit of background, Cassina began producing the first four pieces of furniture designed by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, and Charlotte Perriand in 1965. Thanks to the mediation of Dino Gavina and the collaboration with Heidi Weber, then the rights holder, the company initiated a pioneering reissue process that gave rise to this emblematic collection.

These designs were first presented in 1929 at the interior design event L’Équipement intérieur d’une habitation at the Salon d’Automne in Paris. The historical drawings were analyzed by Cassina’s research and development department, which, together with experts and historians, led the brand to transform small-scale artisanal production into an industrial manufacturing process, resulting in the iconic pieces that are now being presented. These pieces are now being presented after updates and technical innovations that respect “the authentic spirit of the original project.”

According to Luca Fuso, CEO of Cassina: “Cassina’s pioneering intuition in producing the Le Corbusier®, Pierre Jeanneret®, Charlotte Perriand® Collection 60 years ago defined the paradigm of modern furniture design. Through this anniversary, we want to explore and question the role of modernity today, presenting original interpretations through both new color combinations and a unique cultural project curated by Formafantasma.”