Rio chair

Conceived in 1978 by Oscar Niemeyer with his daughter Anna Maria Niemeyer, the Rio chaise longue brings the language of Brazilian modernist architecture to human scale. A single continuous S-curve, drawn in moulded plywood and caned or upholstered, rests on two arched rocking bases. The form recalls the free curves that defined Niemeyer’s buildings, from Pampulha to Brasília, and the coastline of the city that gave the piece its name.

The Rio was first produced in Brazil by Tendo Brasileira in very limited numbers, and later editions followed with Teperman, Etel and the Italian manufacturer Fasem. It is among the most celebrated designs in 20th-century Brazilian furniture, and an example is held in the permanent collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). It is both sculpture and seat, a rocking chaise that holds its own in any interior.