JEAN PROUVÉ
Bench no. 356, ca. 1956
Cité universitaire Jean-Zay,
Antony, France
The bench no. 356, designed by JEAN PROUVÉ around 1956, was intended for the communal areas of the Cité universitaire Jean-Zay in Antony (Paris area).
Built in 1954 by architect Eugène Beaudouin, the university student residence in Antony was seen as a model: just as a city, the university accommodation complex included, besides lodgings, three swimming pools, two restaurants, three lecture halls, a theatre, a library, a nursery school, two day nurseries, an infirmary, a social care center, and shops.
This cushioned bench, fully original, features a metal frame based on the leg’s principle of the fauteuil léger no. 356. Made of a large-diameter tubular brace to which are welded tubular legs and sheet-metal support brackets, it ensures both stability and lightness.
Similar to the fauteuil léger no. 356, designed as part of the furniture program for student rooms, the bench no. 356 was specifically developed to furnish the communal areas of the Cité universitaire in Antony. Particularly noted for its comfort, it was produced in versions that seat between 3 and 9 people.
In addition to furnishing the communal areas, Jean Prouvé was also commissioned to design the furniture for the restaurants and 148 individual rooms in the university student residence, which was inaugurated on December 1, 1955.
l’architecture d’aujourd’hui, juillet 1956
