Jean Prouvé: Genius Architecture With Love and Humanity In Mind

In an ideal world, each person has a home, a safe and secure place to call their own. Walls alive with conversations, a bed to sleep in when the fatigue kicks in. ‘Feels like home!’, one may exclaim, as they view a space in a new area. But on the other end, there are families stripped of a physical space to call their own. People who are forced to seek shelter, simply anywhere, maybe from war-torn places, natural disasters or lack of housing. The building of places, the architecture, if you like, is not just an aesthetic means to an end, but designs that should allow for social mobility and humanity. In times of deficit, architecture should be a means of solution, care and humanity; an artistic outlook on unique buildings can and has helped solve crises, but did we forget about it? Take a look at Jean Prouvé: Genius Architecture With Love and Humanity In Mind.

In our ever-expanding world, places and spaces to call home are becoming harder to find, and that’s before we think about disasters, wars and famines that strip many of safe lodgings.

We have, and still do, look to architecture to solve housing issues, whether this be a simple lack of affordable homes, unsafe places or even a lack of space. We expect clever solutions. And if that were not enough, we always want to live in well-designed, good-looking buildings.

Smart architecture from designers has sought to discover ways to combine aesthetics with utility for centuries; comfort, safety, with beauty if you like.

Post-War Period

In the post-war period, there was particular public interest in architectural developments, smart design and mindful architecture. Council housing high-rises like Erno Goldfinger’s Trellick Tower aimed to provide a quality home for maximum tenants while not taking up too much land. On the other hand, projects like Neave Brown’s Alexandra Road Estate looked to take spaces that may not have appeared ideal in their location, then drawing on design to mitigate those concerns.

Trellick Tower; Photography: Ethan Nunn

And then, there was pure simplicity. A consideration of what it really is that makes up a house, and how can that be the central point? The world is currently facing various challenges that require smart housing, from wildfires to wars that leave families displaced.

Perhaps it is architects who employed their talent in a brutally human way that society should look back on in the present time.

Jean Prouvé Architecture

Jean Prouvé was one such genius, pioneering the creation of ‘maison démontable’. A house cannot be built in a day… unless you have two people and Prouvé’s demountable structure, which indeed, takes less than 24 hours to set up.

His work gained prominence in line with the end of the Second World War, as the displaced French populace was left in need of housing that could be easily set up. It is an ultimate example of design that saw a need to aid humans and prioritised simplicity and efficacy.

The Ministry of Reconstruction commissioned Ateliers Jean Prouvé to deliver 800 of the 6×6 metres demountable houses to be installed in areas around Lorraine and the Franche-Comté.

The house was based on a one metre maquette with a floor, wall panels with a built-in door and windows, partitioning elements, and a roof. This was later enlarged to 6×9 metres, divided into three rooms, which families could move into on the same day.

It has all the basic elements that make a house safe and comfortable for living, without extra complications. On top of that, it was also a perfect example of minimal, mid-century design.

Photography: Benjamin Baccarani

Good Design Works

Prouvé was a master of modular building systems, which focused on using identical pre-fabricated ‘modules’ that could be assembled into a complete building.

His houses were an important element of the humanist design movement, experimenting with metal and concrete to think about the utility of construction. Think modern-day IKEA kits for assembling a cupboard in a couple of hours, except this was whole livable homes in the 20th century.

Needless to say, this phenomenon was revolutionary for its time, and continues to spark public interest to this day. The Prouvé’s legacy is displayed at Ladbroke Hall Garden in London, with Maison Démontable being a public exhibit that showcases the 1944 6×6 metres model.

Ladbroke Hall Garden, the vibrant cultural venue and restaurant, has one of only a handful of restored Prouvé houses. The art gallery and restaurant’s garden is home to the home.

The adaptability of the French architect’s creation remains a valuable contribution to the discourse surrounding modern architecture and considerations of public need.

Photography: Benjamin Baccarani

Meritorious

As technology develops and design becomes more complex and layered, projects like that of Prouvé’s end up being lost in history, regarded as a fascinating artefact or an art piece.

However, it could also be something to learn from when thinking of modern-day architecture, and what is really needed to provide comfort for the ever-growing human population.

Prouvé’s role in humanist modern architecture is an example of being attentive to what is needed, and the 20th-century post-war scarcity of housing isn’t much different to the issues the world faces today.

Although modular houses do exist, these are used mainly for grand statements, not for those in short-term or temporary need. Companies like Huf House have pioneered pre-built frame homes, yet the idea is yet to be used in more needy circumstances. It is not just an architectural concept to marvel at, but something to really consider as part of solving housing issues.

So, maybe there is something to be learnt from history, when technology couldn’t cure all, but instead innovation and talent adapted to what was really necessary.

If you enjoyed reading Jean Prouvé: Genius Architecture With Humanity In Mind, why not try Love This Adaptable Scent That’s Just Your Own?

.Cent Magazine, London. Luxury Mindset