Designer
Jacques Adnet
Jacques Adnet (1900-1984) was a French architect, interior designer and Art Deco modernist. He studied at the Municipal School of Design in Auxerre and then in Paris, and with his twin brother Jean he founded the company JJ Adnet. In 1925…
Biography
Background
Jacques Adnet (1900-1984) was a French architect, interior designer and Art Deco modernist. He studied at the Municipal School of Design in Auxerre and then in Paris, and with his twin brother Jean he founded the company JJ Adnet. In 1925 he was recognised as one of the most promising young designers at the Salon d'Automne and the Exposition des Arts Décoratifs.
Signature Style
Adnet believed in the functional side of furniture combined with geometric simplicity. He was an early user of metal and glass in the structure and decoration of furniture and, after the war, began to cover his pieces in leather.
Notable Works
- Furniture and mirrors, including leather-covered pieces made in partnership with Hermès from 1950
- Interiors for the Élysée Palace apartments and the UNESCO headquarters meeting room in Paris
- The salle commune of the Ile-de-France (1926)
Legacy
Adnet directed La Compagnie des Arts Français from 1928 to 1960 and later led the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs. He is remembered as an innovator whose furniture still reads as modern, and GUBI's Adnet coffee table brings his glass-and-leather language back into production.
