As part of the Art Basel Paris public program, GALERIE PATRICK SEGUIN is showing JEAN PROUVÉ’s 6×9 demountable house (1944) on Avenue Winston Churchill, in front of the Grand Palais.
In response to an order from the government at the end of the War, Jean Prouvé designed temporary houses for those who had been made homeless in Lorraine and Franche-Comté. Fine-tuning the axial portal frame system that he had patented in 1939, he met the emergency situation with a quick, economical and adaptable solution. The surface area, initially set at 36 m² by the Ministry of Reconstruction, was enlarged to 54 m² and made immediately habitable on the day of assembly. This solution meant that the local residents did not have to move away while their homes were being rebuilt.
Designed to be assembled rapidly and, if need be, demounted and moved elsewhere, these “architectural feats” were made up of light, prefabricated components of metal and wood. As steel was then in short supply, it was reserved for the bent sheet frame, into which standardized wood panels were inserted.
This 54m2 demountable construction will be furnished with a selection of furniture and lighting by Jean Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand and Le Corbusier.
Free of charge and open to all, a visit to the 6×9 demountable house is an opportunity to observe the ingenuity of Prouvé’s construction system, deployed here using two portal frames around which the living spaces are organized.
For this occasion, the gallery has designed posters showcasing Prouvé’s constructional philosophy.
Come and get yours!
