To say that he was detail-oriented would be a gross understatement, Mr. Balazs of the Mercer wrote in an Instagram post. Christian Liaigre (10 August 1943 2 September 2020) was a French interior designer and architect. For more information, please see our All rights reserved, L&L Luce & Light illuminates the Munch Museum in Oslo. The Mercer, which Andr Balazs opened in 1997, introduced Mr. Liaigre to the United States. Christian Liaigre (10 August 1943 - 2 September 2020) was a French interior designer and architect. The spaces he created are a wonderful gift. Kelly Behun, interior designer, His interiors inspired a generation of designers, myself included. "This high demand is something we will keep, whilst introducing a freshness and freedom that has a more relaxed approach. His work has always been an inspiration to me. You will shortly receive a welcome email so please check your inbox. He was such a visionary. [Roberta Mutti]. The Wall Street Journal described Liaigre as a "great minimalist". Cloudbreak This is a huge loss for our community. Sheila Bridges, interior designer, Christians passing is such a loss for the world of design. These distinctive objects are often made of wood and designed with extraordinary care. It also favored the emergence of talents and the recognition of the team's works.". Iris Brosch. His preference to work largely with private clients is clear because he had few public-facing projects. They simply redefined a new idea of simplicity in design. "Surrounded by the best craftsmen, he imagined and delivered spaces that expressed simplicity, sincerity, a modern and timeless style, alongside a natural attention to wellbeing," said his studio. Anyone can read what you share. The clients still cherish them to this day. Surrounded by the best craftsmen, he imagined and delivered spaces that expressed simplicity, sincerity, a modern and timeless style, alongside natural attention to wellbeing, said his studio. [1][2] In 1985, he opened his first store, and he designed the Htel Montalembert in 1990. Liaigre established his eponymous studio in 1985 and opened the doors to his first showroom on Rue de Varenne in Paris' seventh arrondissement. The living room at Liaigres home on St. Barts. Never distracted by pyrotechnics, he created spaces and the components of spaces that stand the test of time. Strong, minimal, and with both form and material thoughtfully considered, the lamp is a functional sculpture. The hotels new-old Modernism and loftlike rooms attracted movie stars (including Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, who felt so at home there that he once hurled a phone at a desk clerk) and designers like Mr. Klein, who lived there before its official opening and liked his rooms so much that he hired Mr. Liaigre to design his own apartment at the Police Building, a few blocks south. He was 77. Only 9 left in stock - order soon. A key feature in the Madison Avenue store is the Design Servicea bespoke decoration service that provides tailored solutions for complete interiors or specific areas like dressing rooms, libraries, studies, and so on. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. You walked in and saw the possibility of how to decorate that hadnt been around since the 1930s. More Buying Choices. Everything he created was stunningly understated, but his use of luxurious, natural materials and sense of proportion made his spaces romantic and impactful. In 1981, he designed a collection of cabinets for Nobilis. More recently, Liaigre decorated other hotels in New York: the Edition Hotel and the Public Hotel, owned by Ian Schrager (also owner of Royalton, Paramount, Gramercy Park). The first boutique hotel on the Rive Gauche, Paris, Hotel Montalembert represents an important chapter in the history of interior architecture between 1980 and 1990. It's a banana. To have people respond to your work like that? We asked design-world luminaries to share their thoughts of Liaigre and the legacy he left behind. This chunky, cracked wooden stool became Mr. Liaigres calling card, its elemental shape a corrective to the fussy opulence of the 1980s. Boards; Inquire; Christian Liaigre Nickel plated Bronze reading light by . What was so special about the interiors of Hotel Montalembert, then? Strong, minimal, and with both form and material thoughtfully considered, the lamp is a functional sculpture. We know your time is valuable. And all his projects shared a simplicity curated down to the last detail, a material research ranging from local woods to bronze, up to fine marbles, a palette including endless shades of neutral colors. As a designer I have always been inspired by his work and loved incorporating his thoughtfully modern and timeless designs into many of the residential spaces I have designed. Frauke Meyer, creative director of Christian Liaigre. It could not be taught. Sold . My family is fortunate to live in a home he designed everyday. His admiration for arts and minimalistic designs led to the highly sought after and copied Christian Liaigre Signature; one of the unique styles over the last three decades. Did he ever misstep aesthetically? By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. "Christian Liaigre preferred to let his designs speak for themselves," said Liaigre's studio in a statement. As a designer I have always been inspired by his work and loved incorporating his thoughtfully modern and timeless designs into many of the residential spaces I have designed. Christian Liaigre Death | Christian Liaigre Obituary - On the 5th of September 2020, Junior (@fenaldinho) confirmed the death of Christian Liaigre a legendary french minimalist designer has passed. Liaigre initially started making furniture and then gradually designed entire interiors for holiday homes, residences, and even interiors of private jets and yachts. Christian Liaigre benches are available for sale on 1stDibs. We will miss him and his genius, but his work will endure far beyond his lifetime. Christian Liaigre wants to have it both ways. There was no one like him; he was a pioneer with his elegant, refined all encompassing style. Mark Cunningham, interior designer, I remember the first time I saw his Chantecaille floor lamp and was caught off guard by its beauty. comments policy. I had gone to Paris to write a profile of him for Departures and ended up spending a rich and rewarding two days in his company. Liaigre believed that interior architecture and design should not depend on the latest fads and trends but embody timelessness, tranquil beauty, and subtle luxury. He helped us to see beyond that way of thinking. Ann Pyne (McMillen, Inc.), interior designer, Christian Liaigre was one of those incredibly rare talents who made me want to be a designer. We all still look up to him and thank him for his stewardship and understanding of whats importantand above all, whats human., Vincent Van Duysen, the Belgian architect, celebrated the life of Liaigre on Instagram, revealing he had been a fan of the late designers work since the end of the 80s. Liaigre's painstakingly bespoke approach has won him high praise in the relatively new waters of luxury yacht design. Christian Liaigre did just that. .css-1cjy3tu{display:block;font-family:Central,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-1cjy3tu:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-1cjy3tu{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.3;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-1cjy3tu{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.3;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1cjy3tu{font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.2;}}20 Enchanting Wedding Decor Ideas.css-ty7wls:after{background-color:#000000;color:#fff;content:'';display:block;height:0.0625rem;margin:0.625rem 0;width:1.875rem;}, These Are the Chicest Spots to Travel to This June, Meet the First Solo Woman Architect in America, These Are the Nominees for Best Production Design, The Most Beautiful Cities to Visit in Your Life, There's a Frank Lloyd Wright Home in Your State, Our Favorite Easter Gift Ideas for Adults, A Cartier Classic Gets a Glimmering Update, The 24 Best Pet-Friendly Hotels in New York City, The 40 Best Mothers Day Quotes From Famous Moms. Schrager continued. On the contrary, his in-depth search on materials allowed him to create a different environment every time, in line with the different philosophy it had to reflect. Moreover, the overall impression consisted in extremely simple shapes that let materials define the surfaces. Christian Liaigre: Remembering the Iconic Work of the French Creative The iconic interior designer of French descent has passed away last week at the age of 77 and leaves behind an unquestionable legacy of restrained aesthetics that will be long remembered. It's art. Among them, a large apartment for Rupert Murdoch, who wanted an apartment like The Mercer Hotel (as Liaigre said). May he rest in power and beauty. Hotelier Ian Schrager also commented, "there is only Christian [Liaigre] and no one else". Meyer and the studio under her creative leadership have been faithful to the pure spirit characteristic of Liaigre. He embodied timeless elegance. I was always inspired by his warm style and the way he could balance designs that were equally understated and impactful. He is continually in search of the unknown, while observing psychology, philosophy, and the influence of culture and society on architecture and design. We are made to. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Former employees described Mr. Liaigre as a quiet, meticulous teacher whose drawings were always perfectly to scale. His ideology derived from the belief that comfort does not lie in trivial affluence but delicacy and rareness. Already in the project for Hotel Montalembert he showed his ability to combine different sources of inspiration and transform them into an immediately recognizable style. The living room of Rupert Murdochs New York City loft designed by Christian Liaigre. Until then, there was no hotel cult like today. News about our Dezeen Awards programme, including entry deadlines and announcements. They were extremely sexy, but they were not an intimate, personal style, David Netto, an American designer, said in a phone interview. That table has been by my side for over a decade now. Liaigre was known for his clean aesthetic vocabulary at a time when bodacious designs were in vogue. Daily updates on the latest design and architecture vacancies advertised on Dezeen Jobs. Biography [ edit] Born into a family from Vende, Liaigre entered the cole nationale suprieure des Beaux-Arts and the cole nationale suprieure des arts dcoratifs before meeting Alberto Giacometti. It was very male and very architectural.. Christian Liaigre drew his inspiration from the tradition of French craftsmen, cabinetmakers and smiths of precious metals. French interior design legend and entrepreneur .css-mnv24j{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;background-image:linear-gradient( to bottom, rgba(55, 119, 188, 0.2), rgba(55, 119, 188, 0.2) );-webkit-background-position:0 100%;background-position:0 100%;background-repeat:repeat-x;-webkit-background-size:0 0;background-size:0 0;padding-top:0.05rem;padding-bottom:0.05rem;}.css-mnv24j:hover{color:#000000;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;-webkit-background-size:.625rem 3.125rem;background-size:.625rem 3.125rem;}Christian Liaigre, known for his romantic minimalist aesthetic and whose clients included Larry Gagosian, Calvin Klein, and Karl Lagerfeld, has died at age 77. Our most popular newsletter, formerly known as Dezeen Weekly. Hotelier Ian Schrager also commented, The world is less without him. An error occurred. Actually, the apartment was very big and there was something of the spirit of The Mercer, which was not the spirit of the Mercer but Liaigres design, able to interpret spaces depending on the client and the place. Liaigre eventually stepped down from his studio in 2016, handing over the position of creative director to long-term collaborator Frauke Meyer. This week we kicked off the Timber Revolution, Uruguayan architect Rafael Violy dies aged 78. The designer Christian Liaigre in an undated photo. It is not easy to explain why his projects were so special, especially when seen from 2020. His public projects such as the 1990 overhaul of Paris Hotel Montalembert, and 1997 revamp of New Yorks Mercer Hotel substantiate that they knew him on both sides of the Atlantic. As stated on their website, Liaigres studio, under the leadership of CEO Christophe Caillaud and creative director Frauke Meyer, enters a new era and continues to design luxury homes, ships, and yachts in Europe, USA, Asia, and around the world. "His luxurious no-frill designs impressed a demanding international clientele on a quest for authenticity.". This is a huge loss for our community. Sheila Bridges, interior designer, Christians passing is such a loss for the world of design. We will only use your email address to send you the newsletters you have requested. He is a master in creating elegance and comfort with impeccable style. It was an art of living imbued with the heritage of the French decorative arts masters, including Jean Royre and Jean-Michel Frank. This designer of some of the world's most beautiful rooms in penthouses, villas and, increasingly, mansion-sized yachts has developed a visual vocabulary, mostly expressed in his own furniture and fixtures, that makes every one of his interiors immediately identifiable as a Liaigre.And yet, he asserts that each is rooted in its particular . Theres nothing more you can ask for as a designer. David Netto, interior designer, Liaigre was the epitome of sophisticated simplicity. French interior designer Christian Liaigre dies aged 77, announced their founder's death over Instagram, luxury homes in countries around the world. Legendary French interior designer Christian Liaigre, known as the "great minimalist", has passed away at 77. "When Christian Liaigre decided to step back in 2016, he left a strong heritage with a mythical aura," explains Meyer.