Pierre Jeanneret Bookcases & Shelves From Chandigarh

Pierre Jeanneret in Chandigarh

Pierre Jeanneret (1896 – 1967) was a Swiss born architect, designer, and artist who most notably collaborated with luminaries such as Le Corbusier (aka Eduoard Jeanneret, and also his cousin) and Charlotte Perriand. One of the most ambitious projects that Jeanneret was involved in during his career was the huge undertaking of designing a new city, Chandigarh, in Panjab (in the newly independent India) with Le Corbusier. Read more about it HERE.

Pierre Jeanneret Bookcases And Shelves

 In the Chandigarh project, Le Corbusier was responsible for the most of the layout of the city and Jeanneret handled the finer details of the metropolis, designing several of the municipal and residential buildings. Along with structures, Jeanneret went on to design furnishings such as chairs, tables, desks, stools, and bookcases for the inhabitants of these new buildings. Here I have assembled a comprehensive list (listed chronologically) of the bookcases and shelves he designed (often with others) for the city of Chandigarh. Enjoy! 

What Material Are Jeanneret Bookcases & Shelves Made Of?

Pierre Jeanneret was a devout pragmatist and utilitarian. He had to make thousands of pieces of this furniture and had to use the materials that were local and easily accessible. Teak (Burma teak, to be specific) and sissoo (also known as N. Indian rosewood) were readily available and made up a lionshare of the “bones” of furniture from the Chandigarh project. The teak wood was ideal, since it was resistant to humidity and bugs.  Cane was used in many of the chairs and iron was used as support in many of the stools. Leather and  fabric upholstery was also used for some of the original Chandigarh pieces.

How Much Do Pierre Jeanneret Chandigarh Bookcases & Shelves Cost?

I searched high and low for less expensive reproductions of Jeanneret Bookcases and was hard pressed to find many. The best one I could find was a repro of the 6 hole file rack (HERE). Actually a fantastic choice for reproduction. I will say, however, I wish someone would make a reproduction of the low cupboard file rack(see listed above). I also found a repro of the dirty linen chest HERE for $1200 (this is the closest to the original design), and another HERE for $800 (although this particular one is closer to a narrow bench than a full chest).

The originals are certainly out there, and their prices denote how rare they actually are. I found an original 6 hole file rack HERE for $26,000. You can grab a low cupboard file rack HERE for $24,000. And if you want to show off your coffee table books in a grand way, snatch up this Jeanneret periodical bookcase for a cool $120,000(HERE). CRAZY!! 

But Wait. There’s More…

Well. You’ve made it this far, but there is more. Loads more. In addition to these amazing pieces, Jeanneret produced desks, tables, stools, daybeds, and benches just to name a few. Click on any of the links to learn and see more Jeanneret furnishings from Chandigarh. I love this stuff. Such an ambitious project and rich legacy!