Olivier Mourgue Cubique Chair by Airborne, France 1968

Iconic 'Cubique' chair designed by Olivier Mourgue for Airborne International, France 1968. Chromed tubular steel construction supporting a wire frame upholstered in black jersey fabric. Airborne perfected the technique of covering injected foam rubber with a synthetic knit jersey fabric.

Launched in 1951 by Charles Bernard (1904-1994), Bernard was eager for Airborne to create original works with the design talents of the day. The company's first collaboration was with leading French designer Pierre Gauriche a partnership that led to the Prefacto series (1951-1953), but Airborne’s most innovative collaboration occurred when young designer Olivier Mourgue approached Bernard with his black leather Joker Easy Chair (1959). Bernard liked it and agreed to produce it. It was the beginning of a successful relationship that lasted over a decade and contributed to Airborne’s reputation taking off in France and abroad. Mourgue’s undulating Djinn Chair (1965) embodied the futuristic "Space Age" aesthetic of the 1960s and has taken its place in design history thanks to an appearance on the set of Stanley Kubrick’s 1967 film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Following three years later, the Cubic chair (1968) was an immediate success. Sadly Airborne International ceased production under Bernard in 1974 and many of the lines including the Cubique chair are no longer manufactured.