Marking his company’s 30th anniversary, Christophe Delcourt presents Time Stretched, a series of pieces celebrating artists and architects who have inspired him. A collection punctuated with subtle references to op art, Arte Povera and minimalism, and created around the central theme of the constructive principle, of the way in which the elements interweave, juxtapose or superimpose.

Everything is a point of departure, support or assembly. A section of wood, the way in which a form and counter-form fit together, the balance of a base, the interlocking of a backrest and seat. Everything is material. Everything is fertile ground for experimentation.

Christophe Delcourt likes to consult his repertoire of form continuously, delving into the artistic references that feed his imagination to give life to pieces of architectural furniture, little utopias transformed into a table, bench or chair.

For the 30th anniversary of Delcourt Collection, he has designed Time Stretched, a series of pieces celebrating artists and architects who, through their work, have created their own repertoire: Richard Serra, Victor Vazarely, Donald Judd. Subtle references to op art, Arte Povera and minimalism cross paths, but without ever losing sight of the central theme of the constructive principle, of the way in which the elements interweave, juxtapose or superimpose. Occasionally the other fundamentals in the work of Christophe Delcourt appear, a way of enhancing the archetype, of asserting a difference, of creating function through assembly.

YOL coffee table

Mise en abyme, architecture within architecture, YOL adopts the conventions of construction and the tryptic of foundations/ walls/ roof, rendering them as little pieces of domestic microarchitecture. As in a free plan, the walls play around with solids and voids, creating geometric forms that seem to be free of any physical constraint.

YUG chair and armchair

With its visible structure of wooden elements of uniform width, the YUG chair is both expressive and disciplined. It offers a take on the Arts and Crafts tradition from which it draws its inspiration: art as first and foremost the product of craftsmanship. The upholstered backrest and seat are set into a wooden frame, thereby elevating this reinterpretation of the desk chair to the ranks of a truly comfortable piece of furniture.

RYE stool, side table, coffee table and bench

Evoking the wabi tradition of finding beauty in simplicity, RYE is about the connection between the base and the surface: the perfection of a modest, essential, almost instinctive assembly. A constructive principle that can also be read as the stamp of the designer/craftsman.

UTO desk

Taking the archetypal form of the trestle (compass legs) as its starting point and support, the UTO desk goes on to develop unusual sophistication in a play of external form and internal counter- form resulting from attention to both perspective and balance. The centrepiece of the Time Stretched collection, UTO is a work of architecture in its own right, complex but never obtuse, ethereal yet anchored.

OGA table 

Revisiting the pedestal table, OGA sits on a sculptural, grounded base featuring large pieces of wood. But it never abandons the grace of an X-frame or the play of sweeping curves, of solids and voids. Behind this lies careful attention to balance, connection and fastening.

OST bedside table, high and low chest of drawers

Exploring the ideas of op art, OST is a collection of storage units (low and tall chests of drawers, bedside cabinet) whose facetted, solid fronts seem to play with perspective. Reliefs and offsets create or conceal functions that are initially invisible: handles for the drawers, library shelving or light sources.

JAE chair

The chair–totem in wood is a key element in the Delcourt Collection repertoire. JAE is a finely honed example of this: a seat like a continuous line, a freehand stroke that never seems to stop, curves and counter- curves that reflect and reinforce one another. Another hallmark of this piece, the tenon-and-peg jointing of the seat, is magnified.

ULI armchair and chaise longue

ULI asserts a calculated, controlled imbalance. Set on a sculptural base in solid oak, the seat and backrest interlock and overlap, giving the illusion of a cantilevered structure playing games with gravity. A generous, sculpted silhouette for this range of seating that includes an armchair and chaise longue.

The latest pieces from the Delcourt Collection, as well as its iconic classics, are available exclusively at Casual Conceito. For more information, visit our blog and follow us on social media.