PACHA OUTDOOR
BY PIERRE PAULIN
Breaking boundaries once more, Pierre Paulin’s pioneering seating concept is moving outdoors. Enchanting exteriors demand dedicated seating to define spaces and create ambience.
The sculptural softness of the Pacha Collection has always rewarded the sitter with a level of relaxation akin to sitting on the clouds that inspired it. Now the indoor collection’s signature comfort and distinctive aesthetics are available outside. Its low-slung typology – a rarity among outdoor seating products – is sure to make a statement.
Pierre Paulin’s first sketches
Pierre Paulin’s first sketches for what would become the Pacha Collection were simple pencil outlines that resembled clouds. These forms became the basis for the Pacha Lounge Chair, defining a new spirit of the era. Without the constraint of legs, the Pacha heralded an era of low-level living, introducing a new way of lounging when it was launched in 1975.
The widely beloved Pacha Lounge Chair was joined by a number of Paulin’s other designs, including a version with armrests, the Pacha Ottoman and the Pacha Sofa – available in modular configurations. All have now been revisited and reinvented for this outdoor collection. With a small footprint, the Pacha Collection can be clustered in different combinations to suit the scale of the outdoor space as well as the style and atmosphere of the setting.
Designed for durability
Designed for durability, the Pacha Collection for outdoor features a specially developed membrane interlayer that is both water-resistant and breathable to ensure quick drying after exposure to rain while maintaining the indulgent comfort of the iconic original. The base is made from moisture-resistant plywood to provide increased protection in humid conditions and includes a full swivel mechanism in stainless steel. A removable rain cover offers further protection from the elements so, as soon as the rain clears, you can sit among the clouds once more.
French designer Pierre Paulin (1927–2009) dreamed of becoming a sculptor before he transitioned into design, and his work demonstrates a distinctly sculptural sensibility.
After an apprenticeship at Marcel Gascoin’s workshop in Paris, Paulin set out on his own, designing the Pacha Lounge Chair in 1975. He cited Ray and Charles Eames and George Nelson among his influences and, like Nelson, he considered himself a functionalist who added “two little drops of poetry” to his work. His low-slung furniture provided a new laid-back perspective on life and his forward- thinking, eclectic, and sculptural approach to design reflected the mood of the freewheeling 1970s.
PIERRE PAULIN
Legendary French furniture designer Pierre Paulin bestrode the 1960’s and 70’s with his recognizable and innovative style that instantly revolutionized everyday furniture.
A joyful modernist, Paulin’s low-slung pieces provided a new laidback perspective on life and his forward-looking, eclectic and sculptural approach to furniture design instantly caught the mood of the swinging 60’s. The hedonistic, sinuous style of Paulin’s design also attracted the patronage of presidents Georges Pompidou and François Mitterrand, who asked him to redecorate parts of the Elysée Palace in the 1970’s and 80’s.
GUBI GOES AL FRESCO
Designed to move as easily between indoor and outdoor spaces as we do, GUBI’s new transterior furniture and lighting features the aesthetic of Gabriella Crespi’s refined Bohemian ’72 Collection loved by the stars of stage and screen. GUBI adds dynamism to GamFratesi’s TS Table and Bill Curry’s innovative Obello Lamp, reinventing them as portable accessories that follow us wherever we go, bringing the look and feel of the indoors outside.