Olivier Mourgue, Designer of Djinn Chairs Featured in 2001: A Space Odyssey, Dies at 87

Olivier Mourgue, the French designer whose Djinn chairs appeared in Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, died at 87. Born in Paris, Mourgue studied at the École Boulle and the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, and attended lectures by Jean Prouvé. In 1959, he designed the Joker chair, which was produced by Airborne from 1964. Airborne also manufactured the Djinn range, including a two-seater sofa and chaise longue, and a version of the Montreal lounge chair designed for the French pavilion at Expo 67. Kubrick used Djinn armchairs in the Hilton hotel lobby on Space Station V, giving the film a futuristic look. Mourgue created low-cost furniture for Prisunic in 1969, described as 'bringing beauty at the price of the ugly.' He designed the Bouloum chaise longue for the Osaka Expo in 1970 and worked on an experimental furniture system for 500 flats in Rouen with architect Marcel Lods. In the 1970s, he built travelling studios and taught at the École des Beaux-Arts in Brest for 30 years, retiring in 2004. He also created 'Imaginary Gardens and Little Theatres,' exhibited at the Sainsbury Centre in 1992. He is survived by his wife, Anne Turlan, and their five children.