Paris, France

For the newly re-opened historic Oval Reading Room at France’s National Library, Patrick Jouin has collaborated with furniture manufacturer Alki in association with Atelier de Recherche et de Création and the French Mobilier National to present the newly designed Orria Chair.

“The rich dialogue between the various participants and their breadth and depth of focus over the course of the project were instrumental in rendering the Orria Chair a unique object,” states Basque furniture manufacturer Alki.

“The emotional resonance it imparts, the pleasure it procures for the reader, and its symbolic association with its location will make the Orria reading chair an emblematic object for the Oval Room at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, evocative of France’s heritage.”

The new chair is crafted entirely out of oak wood and finished with luxurious leather upholstery and is a discreet and organic expression of soft, pure lines, seamless intersections, and rigorous technical commitment. 

The chair expresses a 100% wooden structure and joinery, crafted from oak and bentwood.

For all team participants, manufacturing the Orria Chair became a symbolic object associated with the historic Oval Reading Room at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France and the values it embodies.

The rich dialogue between the various participants and their breadth and depth of focus over the course of this project, were instrumental in making the Orria Reading Chair a unique object and highlighted the concerted expertise, creativity, and excellence of each stakeholder. 

There are now 150 Orria chairs furnishing the historic Oval Reading Room at the BnF. 

In line with the Bibliothèque’s inclusive principle of accessibility for all, the Orria project’s other ambition is public production of the chair in 2023.

Project: Orria Chair
Designer: Patrick Jouin
Collaborating Institution: French Mobilier National
Client: French National Library
Manufacturer: Alki
Photographer Thomas Duval & Mito