60s Pierre Guariche writing desk for Meurop

Designer
Pierre Guariche
Manufacturer
Meurop
Period
1960s
Origin
Belgium
Material
Teak, steel
Color
Teak / black
Code
0717057TBu
Condition
Good
Dimensions
139,5cm (w) x 70cm (d) x 73,5cm (h)
Provenance
Wear consistant with age and use. Backside 1 square saw cut placed.

Pierre Guariche (1926–95) was a French designer, interior decorator, furniture designer and architect. Guariche studied at the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs, where he was taught by René Gabriel. After his graduation, Guariche began to exhibit his work in the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs. In the period after World War II there was increased interest in using new methods and materials for mass production of furniture. Manufacturers of materials such as formica, plywood, aluminum, and steel sponsored the salons of the Société des artistes décorateurs. Designers who exhibited their experimental work at the salons in this period included Guariche, René-Jean Caillette, Joseph-André Motte, Jean Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand, Antoine Philippon and Jacqueline Lecoq.

Guariche was quickly noticed and was employed by Galerie MAI, Pierre Disderot’s lighting company, and the new furniture manufacturing company Airborne, founded in 1951. That same year, Guariche also began designing for another company, Steiner, a collaboration that led to Guariche’s famous Tulipe Chair (1953), Vampire Chair (1954), and Amsterdam/Tonneau Chair (1954).

In 1954 Guariche formed an association called the Atelier de Recherche Plastique (ARP: Plastic Research Workshop) with Michel Mortier and Joseph-André Motte. For about three years the ARP designed a wide range of furniture for the living room, parent’s bedroom and child’s bedroom for the manufacturer Charles Minvielle. In 1957 Guariche became artistic director for Meurop, a Belgian furniture making company. The furniture Guariche designed for Meurop was both elegant and very economical.

Worldwide shipping