How we started reproducing Chandigarh Furniture
At Chandigarh Architecture Lab, our deep dive into the city’s legacy revealed a sobering truth: the iconic Chandigarh furniture was not receiving the reverence, research, or attention to detail it so richly deserved. Designed with an ethos that embodied precision, functionality, and artistry, these timeless pieces had become victims of mass-produced imitations—marred by distorted proportions and stripped of their original soul.
Ironically, something that was produced from and for Chnadigarh was no longer being produced here in the city, at least not how it should have been. We wanted to recreate the pieces with utmost precision, love, care, true to the ethos and best quality that could be available globally.
The brief for us was simple and very clear, Recrafting Legacy.
With a background in industrial design from NID, we along with our team members embarked on a meticulous journey to revive this heritage, crafting pieces with utmost precision, unparalleled quality, and an unwavering commitment to the original ethos. Over three years of rigorous research and development, we succeeded in creating furniture that embodies the finest craftsmanship, faithful to every dimension, joinery, and intricate detail, setting a global benchmark for Chandigarh furniture.We can confidently say that it is the best in every term compared to any other Chandigarh furniture globally.
Our process began humbly, in the heart of our office. During primary research, we unearthed a treasure trove of Pierre Jeanneret’s sketches and drawings, digitized and preserved at the Canadian Centre for Architecture. These artifacts travelled to Geneva with Jeanneret and later donated by his niece, offered rare glimpses into Jeanneret’s creative process and illuminated critical design details.
Secondary research took us deeper into Chandigarh itself, connecting us with individuals who have devoted their lives to preserving its story. Living in the city gave us unparalleled access to original batches of Chandigarh furniture. From Panjab University to government museums, and even knocking the doors of private homes, we meticulously measured each piece, studied their joinery, analyzed weaving patterns, and collected invaluable insights.
Simultaneously, we pored over archival materials and online repositories. The major insight that came out through these findings was that the overall design was same but there is a slight variance in dimensions and details. This was majorly due to 2 reasons - early design explorations by the design team and later batch productions by different vendors.
After a year of extensive research, we narrowed our focus to six iconic furniture pieces for re-creation. Every step of the process was deliberate and exhaustive. We began by drafting detailed drawings and printing them to a 1:1 scale, followed by laser-cut models. Prototyping in mango wood at full scale revealed crucial refinements, prompting numerous iterations.
Apart from the dimensions, wooden joinery emerged as a cornerstone of our endeavor. True to the original ethos, no nails or screws were used, making precision in traditional joinery paramount. Parallelly, we explored the craft of rattan weaving. Experimenting with various weavers and grades of rattan, we honed every detail—from the tightness of the weave and placement of knots to the detailing of back grooves, the size of chair holes for cane threading, etc.
This iterative process, cycling between craftsmanship and documentation, demanded relentless effort and time. Over the course of 1.5 to 2 years, every challenge became a stepping stone toward perfection. Today, we stand proud of our achievement—a recreation of Chandigarh furniture that is unparalleled in quality, authenticity, and artistry.
We were able to successfully recraft the legacy we desired when beginning the journey.