CELEBRATING JEAN PROUVÉ
WE ARE THRILLED TO CELEBRATE THE BIRTHDAY OF ONE OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS OF THE LAST CENTURY, JEAN PROUVÉ.
Prouve’s work is celebrated throughout the store, but most importantly in the spectacular “Nomade” structure.
This is one of the original prefabricated structures from France produced in 1957 and rebuilt at our Melrose location.
SEE PHOTOS OF THE PROUVÉ STRUCTURE NOMADE, READ ABOUT HISTORY OF THE DESIGNER, AND SHOP OUR COLLECTION OF BOOKS AND RARE FURNISHINGS BELOW.
ABOUT JEAN PROUVÉ:
JEAN PROUVÉ (1901-1984) WAS A FRENCH METALWORKER, ARCHITECT, AND DESIGNER WHO WAS INFLUENTIAL IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODERNIST ARCHITECTURE AND INDUSTRIAL DESIGN. HE WAS BORN IN NANCY, FRANCE, AND WAS TRAINED AS AN ENGINEER AND METALWORKER, BEGINNING HIS CAREER IN HIS FATHER'S WROUGHT-IRON WORKSHOP.
IN THE 1920S, PROUVÉ BEGAN EXPERIMENTING WITH FURNITURE DESIGN AND FOUNDED HIS OWN COMPANY, ATELIERS JEAN PROUVÉ, WHICH PRODUCED A WIDE RANGE OF METAL FURNITURE AND PREFABRICATED HOUSES. DURING WORLD WAR II, PROUVÉ WORKED FOR THE FRENCH RESISTANCE, DESIGNING AND MANUFACTURING PORTABLE BRIDGES AND OTHER STRUCTURES FOR MILITARY USE.
AFTER THE WAR, PROUVÉ CONTINUED TO FOCUS ON INDUSTRIAL DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE, AND HIS WORK BECAME KNOWN FOR ITS FUNCTIONALISM AND UTILITARIANISM. HE WAS A PIONEER IN THE USE OF PREFABRICATION TECHNIQUES IN ARCHITECTURE, AND HIS DESIGNS WERE OFTEN CHARACTERIZED BY THEIR USE OF SIMPLE MATERIALS AND STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS.
PROUVÉ'S WORK WAS RECOGNIZED WITH NUMEROUS AWARDS AND EXHIBITIONS THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, AND HE WAS A KEY FIGURE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MODERNIST MOVEMENT IN FRANCE. HIS DESIGNS REMAIN INFLUENTIAL TODAY AND ARE HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER BY COLLECTORS AND MUSEUMS AROUND THE WORLD.
