The Senate Chair throne in the Luxembourg garden of Paris since 1923, but the Luxembourg version redesigned by industrial designer Frédéric Sofia has become famous all over the world.
The Luxembourg chair is a reference in terms of design, and with its historical origin, it embodies a certain French way of life. Manufactured by Fermob, it can be found in gardens around the world, on the terraces of cafes and restaurants, but also in the outdoor spaces of Harvard University, Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York, Majorelle Gardens in Marrakech and Amsterdam Zoo.
In the XVIIIe century, different models of chairs are placed in the Luxembourg Gardens, and their use is chargeable. Then the Senate, in 1955, imposes the only current model and, in 1974, it decides to make the chairs free. Originally, this chair is called Senate, because it is in the Jardin du Luxembourg that the Luxembourg Palace, seat of the French Senate, is located.
The Frédéric Sofia touch
No records of the design of this chair have been found in the French National Archives, but this green Senate chair, in steel, dates from 1923, and was manufactured by the Ateliers de la ville de Paris. There are three historical steel models: the chair, the armchair and the recliner. “In the 1990s, the Senate launched a call for tenders to renew the stock of chairs, and it was the company Fermob that won it and took charge of the manufacture of the chairs in the Luxembourg garden” , explains Frédéric Sofia, industrial designer of the Luxembourg chair , that we joined in Paris.
PHOTO PHILIPPE FRISÉE, PROVIDED BY FRÉDÉRIC SOFIA
Industrial designer Frédéric Sofia
He admits to having always liked these chairs in the Luxembourg garden. “In 2001, Fermob approached me to design a range of accessories around Senate chairs. While doing this work, I had the idea of redesigning the chair in the Luxembourg garden. In the beginning, in 2003, there was the armchair and the small stool. Then in 2004, I proposed the Luxembourg chair “, specifies Frédéric Sofia.
He has always admired designers like Jasper Morrison and Philippe Starck who also redesigned furniture and design objects. Philippe Starck notably imagined the Louis Ghost armchair, a reinterpretation of the Louis XVI style medallion armchair which dates from 1769.
“The redesign, it’s very difficult to do, it’s the same chair, but different. We must keep the spirit of the chair and the symbols that mark the collective unconscious while creating a design object, analyzes the designer. There is a historical origin, France is a country that is passionate about heritage, and this chair has become a symbol, because it comes from the Luxembourg garden. It’s a historical and cultural encounter with contemporary design, that’s what made the success of my Luxembourg chair. »
PHOTO PROVIDED BY FRÉDÉRIC SOFIA
The Luxembourg chair by Fermob designed by Frédéric Sofia
This chair is very welcoming, more generous and romantic, and it has beautiful shapes while being urban and design. It gives it a lot of charm and it has become emblematic of the French style in furniture design and the art of conversation.
Frederic Sofia, designer
The chair Luxembourg is made of aluminum, very light, stackable, and is offered in 24 colors, in addition to a model for children. There is also the entire Luxembourg collection, where we find the armchair, the bridge armchair with armrests and various models of tables, stools and benches.
PHOTO ANTOINE ANTONIOL, BLOOMBERG NEWS ARCHIVES
A man reads his newspaper installed in the Luxembourg garden.
Quality chair
“I think it’s one of the best-selling chairs in the world, whether in Europe, the United States, Japan, Australia, in private gardens, on the terraces of cafes, hotels and restaurants. . People have appropriated this chair and, for a designer, you couldn’t ask for more! I also like the democratic design, it’s not an elitist chair, it crosses borders, but also it’s affordable. At 239 euros [347 $ CAN], it remains a price, but for a quality design chair that is part of the heritage, it is accessible. »
When we walk today in the Luxembourg garden, it is always the chair and the Senate armchair which are arranged in the shaded paths of the famous garden, just like in the gardens of the Tuileries and the Royal Palace.
“The Luxembourg chair is everywhere in the world except in the Jardin du Luxembourg, where you sit on a more rustic chair and, let’s face it, not very comfortable. The French Senate is a very conservative institution, senators do not like change! That said, the Senate model is made of steel, it is much heavier than aluminum, explains Frédéric Sofia. This prevents the chair from being stolen in public gardens. »
The Luxembourg chair is available from Fermob.