Joseph-André Motte (6 January 1925 – 1 June 2013) was a French furniture designer and

interior designer Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. With a keen eye for detail and a Creativity, creative flair, an ...

and ranks among the most influential and innovative figures of post-war French design. Joseph-André Motte was born in

Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur (; named for Bonitus (bishop), Saint Bonitus, before 1988: ''Saint-Bonnet'')Hautes-Alpes Hautes-Alpes (; ; ) is a Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region of Southeastern France. It is located in the heart of the French Alps, after which it is named. Hautes-Alpes had a population ...

). After passing his '

baccalauréat The ''baccalauréat'' (; ), often known in France colloquially as the ''bac'', is a French national academic qualification that students can obtain at the completion of their secondary education (at the end of the ''lycée'') by meeting certain ...

', he studied at the École des Arts Appliqués in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

( École nationale supérieure des arts appliqués et des métiers d'art), where he graduated in 1948 at the top of his class. His career is divided into two different stages. At first, he focused on furniture design up to the end of the 1960s. Later, he shifted his career to interior design.

Furniture design

In the period after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

(1939–45) there was increased interest in using new methods and materials for mass production of furniture. Manufacturers of materials such as

Formica ''Formica'' is a genus of ants of the subfamily Formicinae, including species commonly known as wood ants, mound ants, thatching ants, and field ants. ''Formica'' is the type genus of the Formicidae, and of the subfamily Formicinae. The type ...

plywood Plywood is a composite material manufactured from thin layers, or "plies", of wood veneer that have been stacked and glued together. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured boards, which include plywood, medium-density fibreboa ...

, aluminum, and steel sponsored the salons of the '' Société des artistes décorateurs''. Designers who exhibited their experimental work at the salons in this period included Motte, Pierre Guariche,

René-Jean Caillette René-Jean Caillette (1919–2005) was a French decorative artist and designer, son of a cabinetmaker. His elegant and modernistic furniture designs were mass-produced after World War II (1939–45). His molded plywood Diamond chair is considered ...

Jean Prouvé Jean Prouvé (; 8 April 1901 – 23 March 1984) was a French metal worker, self-taught architect and designer. Le Corbusier designated Prouvé a constructeur, blending architecture and engineering. Prouvé's main achievement was transferring m ...

Charlotte Perriand Charlotte Perriand (; 24 October 1903 – 27 October 1999) was a French architect and designer. Her work aimed to create functional living spaces in the belief that better design helps in creating a better society. In her article "L'Art de Vivre" ...

, Antoine Philippon and Jacqueline Lecoq. Motte began his career as a furniture designer at the Bon Marché, one of the oldest Parisian department stores and cooperated with

Marcel Gascoin Marcel Gascoin (24 August 1907 – 29 October 1986) was a designer who specialized in modular storage units and sets of matching furniture. He played a major role in the emergence of French design after World War II (1939–1945). Several of Gasc ...

's workshop. In 1954, he founded his own agency and co-founded the ''Atelier de Recherche Plastique'' (Studio for Plastic Research) with Michel Mortier and Pierre Guariche. His career as a postwar designer led to him refurnishing French homes with industrial materials and contemporary style, integrating modern forms with conventional techniques, using traditional and modern materials:

rattan Rattan, also spelled ratan (from Malay language, Malay: ''rotan''), is the name for roughly 600 species of Old World climbing palms belonging to subfamily Calamoideae. The greatest diversity of rattan palm species and genera are in the clos ...

foam Foams are two-phase materials science, material systems where a gas is dispersed in a second, non-gaseous material, specifically, in which gas cells are enclosed by a distinct liquid or solid material. Note, this source focuses only on liquid ...

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic polymers, synthetic or Semisynthesis, semisynthetic materials composed primarily of Polymer, polymers. Their defining characteristic, Plasticity (physics), plasticity, allows them to be Injection moulding ...

, Formica, plywood,

stainless steel Stainless steel, also known as inox, corrosion-resistant steel (CRES), or rustless steel, is an iron-based alloy that contains chromium, making it resistant to rust and corrosion. Stainless steel's resistance to corrosion comes from its chromi ...

, and

glass Glass is an amorphous (non-crystalline solid, non-crystalline) solid. Because it is often transparency and translucency, transparent and chemically inert, glass has found widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in window pane ...

. Motte's projects covered a global range of furniture and furniture accessories: office furniture, chairs, tables, lights, sanitary and heating facilities. Some of his most famed chairs are the Tripod Chair (1949), Catherine Chair, (1952), Sabre Chair (1954), 740 Chair (1957), 770 (1958). He and Paul Andreu are credited with the design of the 1970s "Motte-Andreu style" shell seating used in the

Paris Métro The Paris Métro (, , or , ), short for Métropolitain (), is a rapid transit system serving the Paris metropolitan area in France. A symbol of the city, it is known for its density within the capital's territorial limits, uniform architectur ...

from 1974 to 1984. Motte participated in many exhibitions such as ''

Salon des artistes décorateurs Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (Pa ...

'', '' Salon des arts ménagers'' and '' Universal exhibition Brussels Expo’58''.

Interior design

From the 1960s to the early 1990s (until his retirement), Motte was in charge of interior design commissions, like public interiors for the French government, including: *

stations (more than 100 stations) * the interiors and furnishings for the

Orly Airport Paris Orly Airport (, ) is one of two international airports serving Paris, France, the other one being Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). It is located partially in Orly and partially in Villeneuve-le-Roi, south of Paris. It serves as a sec ...

* the interiors and furnishings for the

Charles de Gaulle Airport Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport , also known as Roissy Airport, is the primary international airport serving Paris, the capital city of France. The airport opened in 1974 and is located in Roissy-en-France, northeast of Paris. It is named for ...

* the interiors and furnishings for the Lyon Airport * parts of the

Louvre Museum The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

* parts of the state radio's Broadcasting House,

* French prefectures and town halls * The

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; , CdE) is an international organisation with the goal of upholding human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it is Europe's oldest intergovernmental organisation, represe ...

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

He also received contracts abroad in Sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa, including the presidential palace in

Bamako Bamako is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Mali, with a 2022 population of 4,227,569. It is located on the Niger River, near the rapids that divide the upper and middle Niger valleys in the southwestern part of the country. Bamak ...

and hotels in Algeria, Tunisia, Congo and Mali. He was honored with many awards such as La Triennale di Milano, Prix René Gabriel. In 1990, he was awarded the French

Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The Order of Arts and Letters () is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is the recognition of significant ...

(Grade of Commander).

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Motte, Joseph-Andre 1925 births 2013 deaths Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres French industrial designers People from Hautes-Alpes

Furniture design

Interior design

See also

References

External links