One of the greatest gifts of Hungarian-born designer Mathieu Matégot was his ability to transform robust industrial materials such as metals into the most delicate of forms.
Few designs express this talent so beautifully as the Copacabana, a sculpturally curved lounge chair whose structure is formed with a single swirl of tubular steel. Elegant but laid-back, the mid-century design has become one of Matégot’s most well-known, and a timeless favorite among lovers of modern design around the world.
The Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris holds the design in its permanent collection. Originally created in 1955, Matégot’s iconic chair has been sensitively updated as a statement piece of indooroutdoor furniture. The 360º revision preserves the singular expressive genius of Matégot’s vision while introducing a bold new colorway and refining its ergonomics for modernday body shapes. A precision-engineered adjustment to the angle of the backrest and seat maximizes comfort when sitting.
Perfecting Indoor/Outdoor Living
At the same time, a stainless-steel material upgrade, additional drainage holes in the metal base of the seat, and the addition of outdoor upholstery fabrics enable the Copacabana to migrate between indoors and out, from lounge to loggia, parlor to patio, salon to sunroom.
“The reissued design takes the Matégot vision of seamless indoor/outdoor living to its natural conclusion, and shines a bright and brilliant spotlight on one of the most important pieces of his career,” says Xavier and Patrice Matégot, Mathieu Matégot’s sons.
A low-slung lounge chair perfect for a relaxed, easygoing lifestyle, the Copacabana has a unique expression that seems to have been designed with a single stroke of a pencil. Both decorative and structural, curving tubes of metal form the legs, seat, and frame of the backrest, giving the chair a sense of dynamic motion.
The backrest itself is crafted with perforated sheet metal – a Matégot signature. Complementing the contoured forms of the design, the material is strong and sturdy yet flexible. The perforations in the metal keep the design open in texture and light in weight, making Copacabana easy to move around – and outside – the home.
“Having the opportunity to reissue as well-loved a design as the Copacabana is both a huge privilege and a tremendous responsibility. I am proud that we have been able to elevate one of the most influential pieces of Matégot’s prodigious career practically and ergonomically, while maintaining the integrity of expression that makes it so unique. It is a brilliant design that truly deserves to be enjoyed by the people of today – now it really can.”
