Jean Prouvé

1901-1984

Born in Nancy, France, Prouvé originally trained as a metalsmith before becoming an engineer. In 1924 he opened his own workshop where he created furnishings with formed sheet steel. During WWII, the lack of metal forced him to shift focus to wood furniture and pre-fabricated housing. Following the war, Prouvé established a factory dedicated to producing furnishings and prefabricated homes and schools. He left the company in 1953, and turned his sights towards architecture and eventual founded his own architectural consulting firm in Paris. It was not until 2002 that his furniture designs were reintroduced by Vitra.