Archival image
Palais de l’Élysée, 1970
Pierre Paulin
Élysée Bookcase, 1971
Smoked Altuglas, steel, wengé base
60.24 H x 68.5 x 14.57 inches
153 H x 174 x 37 cm
Signed 'Paul'
Officially, one example of this bookcase was produced for President George Pompidou's apartments at the Palais de l'Élysée in 1971 as part of that landmark commission. That example is now in the permanent collection of the Mobilier National.
This bookcase, a smaller version of the example installed at the Palais d'Élysee, was recently discovered and is believed to be the only other example of the Pompidou bookcase. The steel connection parts were fabricated by the Mobilier National workshop (A.R.C.) and the Altuglas elements were fabricated by an independent workshop. Both elements have been verified by the Mobilier National.
Literature:
Descendre, Nadine. Pierre Paulin: L'Homme et l'Oeuvre. Paris: Èditions Albin Michel, 2014. Presidential version illustrated, 109. Print.
Chapoutot, Anne. Pierre Paulin: Un Universe de Formes. Paris: Editions Du May,
1992. Presidential version illustrated, 94. Print.
Bergdoll, B., Bary, A., Branzi, A., Descendre, N., Foulon, F., Geel, C.
Leymonerie, C. & Rubin, C. (2008). Pierre Paulin: Designer, p 230-231.
Sold