Jupiter Chair by Pierre Guariche for Meurop, 1960s

Born in Paris in 1926, Pierre Guariche attended École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs and, following World War II, aligned himself with a group of young French designers who sought a modern alternative to the traditional decorative arts in France. Between 1953 and 1957, he collaborated with Joseph-André Motte and Michel Mortier under the acronym ARP (Atelier des Recherches Plastiques), designing furniture with innovative materials and forms. At the same time, he began working with important design firms, including Airborne, Meubles TV, Huchers-Minvielle, Disderot, and Steiner. In the late 50s Guariche became chief designer for the Belgian company Meurop, where he concentrated on developing elegant but low-cost furniture.

At the height of his career, Guariche worked mostly as an architect, designing many private residences as well as commercial and public spaces, including several ski stations. Overall, his designs reflect a commitment to simplicity, exploiting the potential of industrial production without sacrificing quality.

Belgian furniture manufacturer Meurop is best known for its successful production of 1960s  designs by Pierre Guariche (1926-1995), who was one of the most renowned French industrial and interior designers of the mid-20th century.

In the early 1960s, Guariche’s designs for Meurop centred around storage items  made from plywood, including teak-veneered dining tables , buffets , and shelves . Both the Shell Chair (1961) and the Polaris Chair (1965) marked a new era in Guariche’s career, as he abandoned natural materials such as wood in favor of synthetics and plastics. Referencing Charles & Ray Eames’ iconic side chairs, the Shell Chair, which was made from a light, yet strong piece of molded plastic, is thought to be representative of both a desire to produce affordable design through mass production, and a response to an increasingly consumerist society.

Capturing the zeitgeist of the 1960s, Guariche also created a number of space and astronomically-inspired chairs for Meurop, including the Mars Armchair (1965), Jupiter Armchair (1966), and Luna Armchair (1967), which also referenced apparent shapes seen in Arne Jacobsen's sculptured Egg Chair (1958). Riding on the coattails of his successful Mars Chair, Guariche became Artistic Director of Meurop in 1967.

Today, many of Meurop’s original pieces have been relaunched by contemporary furniture producers and retails stores, including the French chain Maisons du Monde.