File Rack
Manufactured by Government Workshops, Chandigarh
India, 1960s
Solid teak

Measurements
168 × 28 × 84h cm
66 × 11 × 33h in

Provenance
Chandigarh, India
Private Collection

Details
Stenciled mark to side
Manufacturer’s Label

Literature
Touchaleaume, E., & Moreau, G. (2010). Le Corbusier Pierre Jeanneret: The Indian Adventure, Design–Art–Architecture., p. 595.

About
This file rack was designed by Pierre Jeanneret around 1960 as part of the furniture program developed for the administrative offices of Chandigarh. Intended to organize documents and files within institutional environments, the design reflects the functional clarity that characterizes Jeanneret’s approach to office furniture.
Constructed in solid teak by the Government Workshops of Chandigarh, the rack features a simple yet highly practical structure composed of open compartments designed for efficient storage and accessibility. The warm tone and natural grain of the teak contrast with the strictly utilitarian purpose of the object, creating a piece that balances practicality with material refinement.
Furniture elements such as file racks formed an essential component of the Chandigarh project, demonstrating how modernist design principles were applied not only to architecture but also to the everyday objects that structured administrative life in the new city.

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.