Monumental Tipping the Scales of Historical Design

Originally crafted for Palais des Ministères, Chandigarh, Bureau des Ministres by Le Corbusier is an exceptionally rare piece of design history. The desk features a two-part removable top and an open corner supported by three legs. The smooth wood and angular design of the desk compliments the geometric shape of Serge Mouille’s Large Lamp Wall Lamp with 6 Rotating Arms – a unique wall lamp that was made by Serge Mouille for his studio in 1963 when he moved to Monthiers, France. The work is not just impressive for its scale, but it also features the artist’s signature kinetic sculptural aesthetic with its six rotatable arms, sensually curved shades and bent metal arms that balance fragility and size in harmonious union.  

MONUMENTAL also showcases a selection of previously unseen masterpieces, including Joaquim Tenreiro's Credenza, Charlotte Perriand’s Conference Table and Sergio Rodrigues' Bookcase. 

Joaquim Tenreiro's Credenza (1959-65), a large-scale sideboard created from Pau Marfim, reveals Tenreiro's mastery working in native woods through its exceptional diamond motif. Credenza showcases Tenreiro’s fusion of artistic aesthetics and practical design while also highlighting the artist’s mastery of craft within a modern and minimal aesthetic. 

Stretching to more than eight meters, Charlotte Perriand’s Conference Table (1947) is one of the artist’s most imposing works and a prime example of her design output during this period, which was defined by prestigious public commissions. Conference Table was created for the France-United States Memorial Hospital in Normandy, France and was later used as a model created for the Palais des Nations, the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The ingenuity of the design is exemplified by the perfectly proportioned aerodynamic lines. Brazilian designer Sergio Rodrigues' Bookcase (1960s), which draws inspiration from indigenous cultures in Brazil, anchors his style towards more organic materials to show the possibilities of what can be achieved through wood.  

The exhibition extends outdoors into Ladbroke Hall's garden, where visitors can experience Maison Démontable (1944) by Jean Prouvé.Originally designed in the 1940s as a response to post-war housing needs, the design was concentrated on rapid assembly, functionality and easily accessible materials. The Maison Démontable house showcases Prouvé’s pioneering approach to prefabrication and modular design. Following the exhibition, the work will be installed permanently as an outdoor Pavilion at Ladbroke Hall, a focal point of the new garden designed by acclaimed landscape gardener Luciano Giubbilei, opening to the public in mid-May in tandem with the exhibition.