French designer and architect Marc Held achieved international recognition in the 1970s as one of the most important designers of his era, particularly known for his revolutionary "Culbuto" chairs created for Knoll International between 1967 and 1970. However, this period of professional triumph also marked the beginning of a profound personal transformation as Held began to question the ultra-liberal economic model that had brought him success.
The third episode of this five-part series explores Held's pivotal "Culbuto" years, a time when his innovative furniture designs gained global acclaim while he simultaneously grappled with the existential question of whether this successful life truly reflected his authentic self. Despite achieving remarkable international and economic success during the 1970s, the perpetually restless and combative designer began to feel that the life he was living wasn't entirely his own.
The iconic "Culbuto" chairs, produced for the prestigious Knoll International, represented a significant breakthrough in furniture design philosophy. Archive photographs from this period show Held collaborating with Florence Knoll and Yves Vidal at L'Échoppe in Paris in 1960, capturing the creative energy that would later fuel his groundbreaking designs. The conception and development of the "Culbuto" seat demonstrated Held's innovative approach to combining functionality with artistic vision.
Beyond furniture design, Held's architectural ventures during this period included the ambitious "House of Utopia" project in Gif-sur-Yvette, Essonne, constructed between 1973 and 1977 using weathering steel (acier corten). This experimental building reflected his growing interest in alternative architectural approaches and his desire to move beyond conventional design paradigms. Additionally, his work extended into automotive design, as evidenced by his involvement with the Renault VBGH3 model in Paris in 1978.
The podcast episode, presented by Sylvie Gouttebaron and produced by Thomas Dutter, reveals how Held's acute awareness of his situation led him to contemplate a dramatic departure from the ultra-liberal economic model that had defined his career. His lucidity regarding the potentially deleterious effects of such commercial success prompted him to consider a fundamental shift in his professional and personal approach.
This period of introspection and transformation is extensively documented in several publications about Held's work, including "L'école du Centre de la Terre" by Samba Dia (2024), "Rêvons d'une autre ville" (2022), and "Marc Held. 50 ans de design" by Michèle Champenois (2014). These works collectively illustrate how the "Culbuto" years served as both a pinnacle of commercial success and a catalyst for Held's eventual rejection of mainstream design industry practices in favor of more personally meaningful architectural and design pursuits.
