Jean Prouvé (Paris, April 8, 1901-Nancy, Grand Est; March 23, 1984) was a French builder, blacksmith, designer and engineer. Son of the cabinetmaker and Art Nouveau designer Victor Prouvé.
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In 1919 he learned to work iron in the workshops of Émile Robert" in Enghien. Shortly afterwards he settled in Nancy in what would be his first workshop. From 1924 he began to work for the blacksmiths of the Thiers hotel in Nancy, as well as for some large shops or warehouses in Paris. He also did the blacksmithing of the Saint Jean de la Luz casino). In 1929, at the invitation of Le Corbusier, he joined the Union des Artistes Modernes, a prominent group of architects, decorators and designers mostly of French origin.[2].
In 1954 Jean Prouvé participated together with Charlotte Perriand in the request to furnish the Jean Zay university residence in Antony. They both obtained the order and today their creations for the residence are known as Antonys furniture, which includes: bookcases, chairs, tables, beds, bureaus, among others. These examples are among the most valued furniture of the century, (an edition of an Antony chair) is valued today at €40,000, a Kangourou chair was sold for €152,449 in March 2001.[3].
In 1955, together with his friend, the architect-writer M. Bataille, he created a small company, Les ateliers Jean Prouvé, linked to a metal work company that renewed his desire to build, quickly influenced by the construction fever of popular buildings.
However, despite everything, he managed to carry out some important projects such as the Centenary Pavilion 1955, La Buvette Cachar in Evian, 1956 as well as prototypes such as the Abbé Pierre house.
In 1957 he developed the light facade system, which was the result of previous studies and whose main element is the ventilation and easy acclimatization of these facades, managing to solve the problems of acoustic and thermal insulation, etc. Among the works in which this system was applied is the Orly-Sud Terminal, Paris airport 1959 (Vicariot); However, it does not exclude variants such as those carried out for the Government Palace of Grenoble, in collaboration with the architect M. Novarina") in 1966) and for the Faculty of Medicine of Rotterdam, jointly with Choisy in 1967).
In a personal capacity he participated in different investigations such as the Saharan House, carried out with Charlotte Perriand in 1958.
Jean Prouvé (Designer and Builder)
Introduction
Jean Prouvé (Paris, April 8, 1901-Nancy, Grand Est; March 23, 1984) was a French builder, blacksmith, designer and engineer. Son of the cabinetmaker and Art Nouveau designer Victor Prouvé.
Path
In 1919 he learned to work iron in the workshops of Émile Robert" in Enghien. Shortly afterwards he settled in Nancy in what would be his first workshop. From 1924 he began to work for the blacksmiths of the Thiers hotel in Nancy, as well as for some large shops or warehouses in Paris. He also did the blacksmithing of the Saint Jean de la Luz casino). In 1929, at the invitation of Le Corbusier, he joined the Union des Artistes Modernes, a prominent group of architects, decorators and designers mostly of French origin.[2].
In 1954 Jean Prouvé participated together with Charlotte Perriand in the request to furnish the Jean Zay university residence in Antony. They both obtained the order and today their creations for the residence are known as Antonys furniture, which includes: bookcases, chairs, tables, beds, bureaus, among others. These examples are among the most valued furniture of the century, (an edition of an Antony chair) is valued today at €40,000, a Kangourou chair was sold for €152,449 in March 2001.[3].
In 1955, together with his friend, the architect-writer M. Bataille, he created a small company, Les ateliers Jean Prouvé, linked to a metal work company that renewed his desire to build, quickly influenced by the construction fever of popular buildings.
However, despite everything, he managed to carry out some important projects such as the Centenary Pavilion 1955, La Buvette Cachar in Evian, 1956 as well as prototypes such as the Abbé Pierre house.
In 1957 he developed the light facade system, which was the result of previous studies and whose main element is the ventilation and easy acclimatization of these facades, managing to solve the problems of acoustic and thermal insulation, etc. Among the works in which this system was applied is the 1959 (Vicariot); However, it does not exclude variants such as those carried out for the Government Palace of Grenoble, in collaboration with the architect M. Novarina") in 1966) and for the Faculty of Medicine of Rotterdam, jointly with Choisy in 1967).
His status as an engineer-consultant was made official in 1966 when he opened a small office where the projects that would demonstrate the constant evolution of this great builder were developed.
He collaborates with the greatest architects who bear the mark of his intervention such as the CNIT, Nobel Tower, Paris-La Defensa, by J. de Mailly, 1967; the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, designed by Bernard Zehrfuss in 1969, and the PCF headquarters in Paris, designed by Oscar Niemeyer in 1970).
At the beginning of the 1960s Prouvé conceived two important manufacturing systems, the Variable surface reticular roof, which adapts to all types of reconstruction and the Tabouret, a system that implements two elements: a post and a beam. Both can be seen in the Grenoble Exhibition Palace, built with Claude Prouvé, architect, 1968, and the University of Berlin, built with Georges Candilis in 1969.
From 1957 to 1970 Prouvé was called to occupy the position of professor of applied arts at the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts in Paris.
Always interested in pedagogy, he carries out a teaching method that illustrates his closeness to the industrial concept of construction, relying on the analysis of technical objects, almost always through his own experiences.
The end of Prouvé's career is marked by experimentation in new materials (cylindrical service stations, such as those made for Total) or new components (Facade panels of the University of Lyon-Bron).
It is also the time of international recognition and its technical achievements for the Structure of the omnisports palace of Paris-Bercy,Andrault and Parat Architects, 1978, or The radar tower of Ouessant that transcends the principle of the central core in cement in Maxéville, Jacquin architect, 1981.
In a personal capacity he participated in different investigations such as the Saharan House, carried out with Charlotte Perriand in 1958.
His status as an engineer-consultant was made official in 1966 when he opened a small office where the projects that would demonstrate the constant evolution of this great builder were developed.
He collaborates with the greatest architects who bear the mark of his intervention such as the CNIT, Nobel Tower, Paris-La Defensa, by J. de Mailly, 1967; the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, designed by Bernard Zehrfuss in 1969, and the PCF headquarters in Paris, designed by Oscar Niemeyer in 1970).
At the beginning of the 1960s Prouvé conceived two important manufacturing systems, the Variable surface reticular roof, which adapts to all types of reconstruction and the Tabouret, a system that implements two elements: a post and a beam. Both can be seen in the Grenoble Exhibition Palace, built with Claude Prouvé, architect, 1968, and the University of Berlin, built with Georges Candilis in 1969.
From 1957 to 1970 Prouvé was called to occupy the position of professor of applied arts at the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts in Paris.
Always interested in pedagogy, he carries out a teaching method that illustrates his closeness to the industrial concept of construction, relying on the analysis of technical objects, almost always through his own experiences.
The end of Prouvé's career is marked by experimentation in new materials (cylindrical service stations, such as those made for Total) or new components (Facade panels of the University of Lyon-Bron).
It is also the time of international recognition and its technical achievements for the Structure of the omnisports palace of Paris-Bercy,Andrault and Parat Architects, 1978, or The radar tower of Ouessant that transcends the principle of the central core in cement in Maxéville, Jacquin architect, 1981.