Towards a critical reevaluation of the history of Chandigarh’s modernist furniture.

About the project

Modernist furniture from the Indian city of Chandigarh has exploded in international fame and popularity over the last decade. From initial origins and uses within Chandigarh’s municipal buildings, these chairs, tables, desks and charpoi can now be found in the homes of the rich and famous, and featured in full-page spreads within the world’s leading design publications.

But despite their fame and exorbitant financial value, surprisingly little is actually known about these pieces; about their design, manufacture and use within India for over forty years. 

This project seeks to fill in gaps in the internationally known story of Chandigarh’s modernist furniture, while at the same time critically examining what information about these modernist designs are widely known, and how this constructed narrative was built and disseminated.

Undertaken with core principles of interdisciplinarity, transparency, and radically rejuvenating research, the Chandigarh Chairs team has committed to make data and research collected as publicly and easily available as possible, including periodic updates to the information contained within this website.