Le Corbusier Desk & Stool from Ahmedabad

This desk and accompanying stool are a collaboration with Balkrishna Doshi. Both pieces are in original condition, with the desk featuring a rich, remarkably beautiful patina. Scattered abrasions are present on both items, reflecting wear and use.

Le Corbusier and Balkrishna Doshi, both pioneers of modern architecture, designed a series of distinctive furniture pieces for the city of Ahmedabad, India, during the mid-20th century. In the 1950s and 1960s, Le Corbusier was commissioned to create several iconic buildings in Ahmedabad, including the Mill Owners’ Association Building and Shodhan House. Collaborating with Doshi, who was his protégé and local counterpart, they designed furniture that complemented the modernist architecture of these spaces.

Their furniture designs for Ahmedabad combined functional modernist forms with local materials, like wood and cane, to suit India’s climate and aesthetic sensibilities. Characterized by clean lines, minimalistic shapes, and sturdy construction, the furniture seamlessly blended Le Corbusier’s principles of rationalism with Doshi’s sensitivity to Indian culture and craftsmanship. These pieces remain celebrated for their timeless appeal, capturing the intersection of global modernism and local tradition, and are considered significant contributions to both Indian and international design.