Born in Geneva in 1896, Pierre Jeanneret stands as one of the greater architects of the 20th century. A collaborative partnership with his cousin Le Corbusier (Charles-Edouard Jeanneret) laid out and executed the new language of international modernism, influencing generations of architects around the globe.

Jeanneret always sought out solutions to design problems that took into consideration the local constraints of material, environment and budget. Never were these ideals more apparent than in the all-encompassing plan for the new city of Chandigarh, built under the direct supervision of Pierre Jeanneret who lived on site for 15 years. Within many of the buildings, Jeanneret oversaw an equally rigorous development of furniture designs, which expressed a genuine understanding of local customs and materials, yet maintaining the structural rigour and style of the French aesthetic. Over one hundred standardised designs were developed for commercial and residential use utilising solid teak or Indian rosewood and executed by hand by a few makeshift workshops. With subtle nuances and differences that emerge from the non-industrial production techniques of manufacture, the furniture of Jeanneret and Le Corbusier has emerged in the 21st century as some of the most sought-after and covetable collectible designs of the 20th century.