Marc Berthier. “Ozoo” fiberglass desk. Year 1967.

Marc Berthier, by.

“Ozoo” model desk, in fiberglass, rectangular in shape, with compartments for storing pencils, documents and accessories.

Dimensions: H 72 x W 110 x D 71 cm

French work realized in 1967.

Reference: LS5553518G

The “Ozoo” model was produced by Roche Bobois in France and Ingo Maurer in Germany.

Marc Berthier (1935-2022) is a French designer and architect. Some of his creations are part of the permanent collections of French museums around the world, such as the Center Pompidou or the MOMA in New York. He studied architecture at the Beaux-Arts in Paris. He also attended the National School of Decorative Arts, at the same time as Olivier Mourgue.

In the 1960s, Marc Berthier collaborated with Galeries Lafayette. In addition to fittings or decoration, he designs products (tableware, lighting, furniture).
In 1968, he created Les Ruches, a system of modular colored plastic boxes. This model was distributed at Galeries Lafayette, then in the first Prisunic catalog of 1968 and by Roche Bobois. Then, he designed a collection of plastic furniture called Ozoo. This includes a coffee table model or even a desk. This collection earned him the René Gabriel prize. This collection was sold until 1976. During the 1960s, he participated, in 1967 for Galeries Lafayette, in the exhibition Domus, Italian Forms, under the supervision of Gio Ponti. This exhibition introduces the general public to the most emblematic Italian creations of the moment, signed Gae Aulenti, Achille Castiglioni, Marco Zanuso, Joe Colombo.

In the 1970s, Berthier collaborated with Knoll and Magis in Italy. It was during this decade that Berthier imagined the first modular tube school furniture, intended to be assembled by the students themselves like a Meccano, hence its name Mecanotube.

In the 1980s, in 1985, Berthier became a teacher at ENSCI, a school founded under the sponsorship of Jean Prouvé and Charlotte Perriand in 1982.

In the 1990s, he created radio Tykho (1997), which made the cover of Times magazine in 2000. Produced by Lexon in France, it entered the collections of MOMA in New York.

More generally, throughout his career, Marc Berthier has developed and applied his research on lightness and economy of means, to fulfill essential functions. Finally, he won two Golden Compasses.

The Compasso d’Oro award, or in French “Golden Compass”, is one of the most prestigious international product design awards. It was created in 1954 in Lombardy by the famous designer Gio Ponti. This prize rewards creations made in Italy. The winners are mainly Italian designers, but also big names in international design, such as Philippe Starck, for creations made in Italy. The prizes are awarded by international juries for creations of furniture, tableware, automobiles and industrial design.

Sources:

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Berthier

https://marc-berthier.com/

https://www.lemonde.fr/disparitions/article/2022/11/09/la-mort-du-designer-marc-berthier-createur-des-casiers-modulables-ruches_6149101_3382.html