Jean Prouvé , 1934

Jean Prouvé (1901-1984) architect, engineer and designer, was endeavored for using highly-developed technologies for metal processing to achieve innovative constructions and forms in his design and architecture work. He played a decisive part in developing construction techniques using light-weight prefabricated parts in architecture, making use, among other things, of insights from the airplane and automotive industry. In his Ateliers Jean Prouvé, the company he founded in 1947, he started not only producing light-weight components but also his own design drafts.

He was a self-taught architect and designer who first apprenticed as a blacksmith and metalsmith. He grew up in Nancy, France surrounded by the ideals and energy of "l'école de Nancy," the art collective to which his father, Victor Prouvé, belonged. Its goals were to make art readily accessible, to forge links between art and industry, as well as between art and social consciousness. It would have a powerful influence on him. His designs reveal knowledge of the materials at hand, a commitment to collaboration between artists and craftsmen, and an attention to evolving technical developments. In 1947 he built the Maxéville factory where he produced furniture and undertook extensive architectural research on the uses of aluminum. Though he used sheet metal extensively, he rejected the use of steel tubing which was popular with the concurrent Bauhaus movement.

Replica Jean Prouve Standard Chair

Characterized by an aeronautic-looking pair of rear legs, this design was rooted in practicality, balance and durability. This chair is a modern classic and is featured in design museums throughout the world. Its quality is revealed in structural logic and unassuming aesthetics. Robust and functionally versatile, the Standard Chair works equally well in domestic settings or as public seating in cafés and restaurants.

These gorgeous chairs come in any of our standard colours. You can then choose either the oak or walnut veneer finish for the seat/back plates.

Ideal for use in the boardroom, around the dinner table and in commercial fit outs the 'Standard Chair' is made available to you by Kiwi Living at prices ordinary people can actually afford.

Available in various colours, including black/oak and galvanized/oak.

The most distinctive feature of the Standard Chair are the back legs. Chairs carry most of the users weight on the back legs, and Prouvé decided to make this manifest by giving the back legs a shape that signals the strength needed to carry the weight. He was also one of the first designers to use plywood for the seat and backrest, a material that would go on to become very popular in 20th century furniture design.

Different Colors