Le Corbusier: Armchair LC 2

Nowadays Corbusier LC 2 Armchair, is based on the prototypes that were shown as part of "l'équipement d'une habitation" at the 1929 Salon d'Automne in Paris. Back then it was referred as "Fauteuil Grand Confort, petit modèle".

Le Corbusier intended to create a set of furniture for the small spaces in his "housing machines" that could be industrially produced in large quantities at moderate prices.

Being harmonically perfect designs, the LC 2 and 3 Armchairs did not become popular at their time. The narrow, softly rounded radius of the frame bends has often been criticized since it is quite complex to manufacture and thus, due to technical difficulties the LC 2 was never produced in large quantities. When brought to their present form by Heidi Weber as late as 1959, Le Corbusier, still alive then, criticized the high manufacturing cost.

Despite of this failure, the Corbusier Chair is today considered "The most famous Chair of the Century" and a design icon.

The complex metal structure is the weak spot of this Armchair. In order to achieve the curves, the tube is first bent, then cut to angle and welded. This is why economic versions appear more angled.
View of the raw metal before polishing the weldings by hand and electroplating. Early prototypes of Corbusier Chairs were painted.	The lower cushions are made of composite foam. The upper rear part being softer than the rest to prevent the upper cushions from slipping to the front.