Pierre Chapo T20A Dining Table with Set of Eight Yrjö Kukkapuro Chairs

Dining room set consisting of a Pierre Chapo dining table model T20A paired with a set of eight dining chairs by Yrjö Kukkapuro.
Pierre Chapo, dining table, model T20A, elmwood, France, design 1972

Designed in 1972 by Pierre Chapo during his reimagining of the T14 table concept, this design is an early edition that retains the iconic pillar-leg base. Chapo, however, introduced a distinctive touch by elongating the table with a straight-sided, curved-ended top. The rounded angles elegantly harmonize the voluminous structure, while the elm material gracefully exhibits a subtle patina, bearing witness to the table's age and years of use. As one of the grander variations in Chapo's collection, this table has an impressive width of 260 cm.

Pierre Chapo (1927-1987) was born in a family of craftsmen and trained as an architect at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Already from a young age, he felt the need to roam the world. He was only twenty-one when he left France in order to spend the next few years traveling through England and Scandinavia. In December of 1951, he was living back in Paris, where he met his future wife, Nicole. Their meeting was the beginning of a lifelong union. Together, the lovebirds travelled through South and North America being captivated by the architectural diversity. Back in France, he and his partner Nicole set up Société Chapo in 1957. Société Chapo was a design workshop and gallery in one where he showed his own creations. However, Nicole also presented her ceramics, and textiles here and they even exhibited other great designers of that period. In 1958, they opened their famous gallery at 14 Boulevard de l'Hopital. Chapo's work originated by means of special commissions that could later be adapted to universal needs. Throughout his career, Chapo combined his interest for contemporary design with his love for traditional craftmanship. In his designs, he was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's balanced lines, Corbusier's research on proportions and the ideas of Bauhaus. The three principles that motivated Pierre Chapo were 'material, form, and function.' He measured his furniture by means of golden ratio and used elmwood as his preferred material. Unfortunately, Chapo fell ill, and he died in 1987, however, until his last day, he kept on designing and working.

Dimensions table: H 75 W 260 D 94 cm / H 29.53 W 102.36 D 37.01 inches.
Yrjö Kukkapuro for Haimi, set of eight dining chairs, model ‘415A’, black leather, fiberglass, aluminum, Finland, 1960s

These organic shaped dining chairs were designed by the Finnish artist Yrjö Kukkapuro. The chair consists of a molded fiberglass shell. Fiberglass was a new material that came to Finland in late 50s. Because it was so new and unique, it was very expensive to use. The foot of the chair is made out of metal, while the seating consists of black leather. The lines and parts of this design are beautifully emphasized. Due to the fully black design, the chair has a very sleek, elegant feel.

Yrjö Kukkapuro is born in 1933 in Wyborg, Finland. Initially, Kukkapuro dreamt of becoming a painter. However, in 1956, he started his education in furniture design at the Institute of Applied Arts in Helsinki. After his studies, he opened his own studio in 1959 where he focused on designing functional furniture. In 1964, he designed his famous Karuselli lounge chair, which he was inspired by the imprint of himself in the snow. The chair is represented in well-known museums such as the MoMA in New York. From the 1970s onwards, he decided to fully center his attention on minimalistic designs. However, reacting on the postmodern trends of the eighties, his designs became more expressive. This is for instance visible in his “Experiment” collection. Throughout his career, Kukkapuro let his designs be manufactured by the Finish company Hiami, but in the eighties he chose a new company named Avarte. In his designs, Kukkapuro always choose functionality over form. He always sees it as his challenge to create functional, durable and comfortable furniture using as little material as possible.

Dimensions chairs: listed on the page

Please note that the chairs exhibit some signs of age and use, including scratches on the base and the lining is a bit pulverized. For further details, we encourage you to reach out to our team of design specialists.

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