Think of France and one quintessential image is a café with tables and chairs lined up on the terrace outside. Of course, you need comfortable, durable chairs, and at BodeGon in Bordeaux, France, M114’s Tube Collection provides a modern, hardwearing alternative to the classic bentwood bistro chair. Designed by Benayoun Architectes, BodeGon is a bar and terrace located on Place de la Victoire. The square is located at the edge of the city centre, and serves as a vibrant hub for workers, students and tourists who frequent the surrounding bars, cafés and restaurants. Benayoun Architectes furnished BodeGon with Tube stackable chairs and square and round tables from M114. The chestnut brown and olive green colouring complements the tones and shades of the cobblestone pavement, building exterior and awning, and the aluminium tube structure is resistant to weather and easy to maintain. Eugeni Quitlett designed the collection and describes the chair as being inspired by the story of The Beauty and the Beast: a mixture of poetry and industry; a combination of a feminine, sensual shape with heavy, strong structure. Eugeni also likens the components of the chair to a mask from Picasso’s African period: the under surface of the seat has what could be eyes and eyelashes while the upside-down legs become horns. “It is also a game with the photos of Man Ray,” Eugeni says, referencing the Dada and Surrealist artist. Of course, Man Ray and Picasso would have been right at home in BodeGon, as cafés have been a centre of social and cultural life in French society since the first Parisian café opened in 1686. They have served as venues to meet, drink, discuss, relax, read, debate and even to plot revolutions – for which a comfortable chair is a must. For more information about the Tube collection by M114, drop by the KE-ZU showroom at Alexandria or view the products online.