Background
A trained architect and urban planner, Pierre-Louis Gerlier has gathered extensive experiences abroad, drawn to places that captivate him due to their distinctive identities (such as Lebanon, the USA, Iran) before establishing his own studio. His designs primarily serve as declarations of love for our contemporary era. They do not aim to revolutionize the world but rather to resonate with our present lifestyles. A project that alters the world is one that imposes itself upon the world. In this era dominated by all-digital, ultra-sophisticated technologies, he advocates for low-tech design, offering objects not meant solely for contemplation but, on the contrary, as invitations to play, disrupt, and appropriate. Moreover, these objects are crafted to last over time.
Signature Style
“My design isn’t merely contemplative; it provides a playground for its users,” states Pierre-Louis Gerlier. “The forms created aren’t intended for imposition but to offer creative support for collective imagination. It embodies ecological design as these objects lack an expiration date and can be utilised across various stages of life.”
Showstoppers
His inaugural creation as a designer, the “Chaise Renversée,” garnered multiple awards, including the French Design 100 2022, held at the Elysée Palace. It reflects on the varying body positions when using computers, distinct for work versus leisure. Another design, Bougez +, playfully offers diverse working postures—listening, writing, collaborating, thinking—and earned him the Jean Prouvé award. This prize, organized by the Ministry of Education, strives to reinvent school furniture.
