Born to a French father and a Swiss-German mother, Pierre Paulin (1927-2009) grew up in France, under the inspiration of his two uncles. His paternal uncle, Georges Paulin, invented the Eclipse mechanical folding roof system and, working with Peugeot, Bentley and Rolls Royce, provided a role model for creativity in business. His great uncle Freddy Stoll was a sculptor and instilled in a young Paulin the notion that an object should be beautiful from every angle.
LITLLE DROPS OF POETRY
Pierre studied in France - first ceramics in Vallauris and then stone-carving in Burgundy, intending to become a sculptor. Sadly, a severed tendon in his right arm put paid to his intentions to follow in his great uncle’s footsteps. He then enrolled at the École Camondo design school in Paris, where a teacher urged him to join furniture designer Marcel Gascoin’s workshop. He served as an apprentice and learned his trade before travelling to Scandinavia and the United States. He cited Ray and Charles Eames and George Nelson among his influences and, like Nelson, considered himself a functionalist who added “two little drops of poetry” to his work.
SITTING IN THE CLOUDS
His low-slung furniture provided a new laid-back perspective on life and his forward-looking, eclectic and sculptural approach to design reflected the mood of the swinging 1960s. He designed the Pacha Lounge Chair in 1975 – without the constraints of legs, it attested to the comfort and cosiness of low-level living, capturing the spirit of the 1970s. The hedonistic, sinuous style of Paulin’s design attracted the patronage of French presidents Georges Pompidou and François Mitterrand, for whom he redecorated parts of the Elysée Palace.
"After GUBI’s successful reissue of the Pacha, it is wonderful to see another of Pierre Paulin’s most cherished designs return to production. The F300 perfectly embodies my father’s approach to design and the balance between sculpture, elegance, and comfort he sought in his work."
Benjamin Paulin, son of Pierre Paulin
PIERRE PAULIN'S IMPACT AND SUCCESS
Today, Paulin has a dedicated following among design collectors and his work can be found in contemporary art and design collections around the world, from the Museum of Modern Art, New York, to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, along with the Centre Pompidou in Paris assuring Paulin's legacy.
