Blue Screen
Manufactured by Government Workshops, Chandigarh
India, 1957
Teak, linen, brass

Measurements
168 × 4 × 169h cm
66 × 1,7 × 66,5h in

Provenance
Administrative Buildings, Chandigarh, India
Private Collection

Details
Manufacturer’s Label

Literature
Seguin, P. (2014). Le Corbusier Pierre Jeanneret: Chandigarh, India. Galerie Patrick Seguin, p. 289.
Touchaleaume, E., & Moreau, G. (2010). Le Corbusier Pierre Jeanneret: The Indian Adventure, Design–Art–Architecture., p. 597.

About
This folding screen was designed by Pierre Jeanneret around 1957 for the administrative buildings of Chandigarh. Conceived as a flexible architectural element, the screen allowed large open interiors to be subdivided while maintaining the visual clarity and spatial openness characteristic of the city’s modernist architecture.
Constructed in solid teak, the structure is composed of hinged panels fitted with linen inserts and connected by brass hardware. The combination of warm wood, textile surfaces, and refined metal elements reflects the balanced material palette frequently employed in the furniture produced for Chandigarh.
Screens of this type were used to create adaptable office environments within the governmental buildings of the city, offering both functional privacy and a subtle decorative presence. Produced by skilled craftsmen in the Government Workshops of Chandigarh, the piece embodies the synthesis of European modernist design principles and traditional Indian craftsmanship that defines Jeanneret’s work in India.

Biography
Pierre Jeanneret (1896–1967) was a Swiss architect and designer and a key collaborator of his cousin Le Corbusier. Working mainly in Paris during the early decades of his career, he co-founded an architectural studio with Le Corbusier in 1922, where they developed influential modernist ideas in architecture, urban planning, and furniture design, often collaborating with Charlotte Perriand.
Jeanneret played an important role in the development of modern furniture and architecture associated with their studio, contributing to projects presented at the Salon d'Automne and to many of the architectural works that defined the modern movement.
Later in his career he moved to India, where he worked closely with Le Corbusier on the planning and construction of Chandigarh. There he served as the city’s chief architect for several years, designing numerous public buildings, housing projects, and furniture pieces that became emblematic of the city’s modernist identity.