Created in 1970, Pierre Paulin’s Dune sofa was never put into mass production, and yet it’s recently gained a legion of admirers.
Along with other Paulin pieces, the Dune is on view at the Judd Foundation in New York through February 15. Just last week, Fast Company chronicled how the 55-year-old modular design — which often measures 10 feet by 10 feet in its “ensemble” configurations and is perhaps more akin to a conversation pit than a typical sofa — became a favorite among influential musicians. Frank Ocean, Peggy Gou and Flea are among the multitudes of music artists who’ve been photographed on a Dune. With its dramatic size, unusual shape and geometric motif, it is exceedingly Instagrammable, after all. It can sprawl over a vast area, accommodating many loungers, and its unique form encourages a cozy kind of slumping — more comfortable for lengthy listening sessions than an upright seat back.
The Dune is not Paulin’s only funky seating. Before becoming a furniture designer, he studied to become a sculptor, and this training is evident in his formally playful pieces. The now iconic Mushroom chair was one of his early efforts for Dutch firm Artifort, which he joined in 1958. The Mushroom was constructed of steel tubing covered by molded foam padding, with a single piece of stretch jersey wrapped around the whole thing. This technique allowed for a more organic shape than might have been possible with traditional ones. The same process was then used for the Ribbon and Tongue chairs, both also designed for Artifort.
The Groovy, Orange Slice and Oyster chairs are a few more of his memorable seats. Whether you’re contemplating the curving lines of the Osaka sofa, the body-hugging form of the ABCD or the geometries of the Dune, the exuberance and inventiveness of Paulin’s designs is immediately apparent.