This is one of the most famous furniture elements in design: the metal compass foot, an inverted V-shaped support designed by Jean Prouvé (1901-1984), whose angular structure combines perfect stability and visual lightness. Mainly used for tables and chairs, the compass foot is inspired by the engineering principles that Jean Prouvé relied on in his projects. What is less known is that this trained engineer, who designed numerous houses, used this iconic form in architecture. And in particular on top of a hill in the village of Vantoux, in the Lorraine countryside.
Ten minutes by car from Metz, just after the outskirts of the metropolis, is this primary school, made with industrial materials: glass, wood, metal and concrete. In 1949, the Ministry of National Education launched a call for competitions for the construction of educational centers, many of which had been destroyed during the war, to which the Ateliers Jean Prouvé responded, which had already demonstrated their effectiveness in 1944 with their pavilions. designed for disaster. victims in Lorraine and Franche-Comté.
The design office envisioned a one-room rural school, with accommodation for teachers, “an industrializable model whose elements must be able to be manufactured in large series, with easy and quick assembly” Whatever the terrain, the architect’s heirs explain on the website that lists all of the latter’s achievements.
Having, with their factory in Maxéville (Meurthe-et-Moselle), a high-performance work tool, they continue“Jean Prouvé sees in this program the opportunity to start a process of industrial production of economic constructions, applicable to various types of establishments.” The school is designed to be built in two weeks, using a modular assembly system using screws and clips.
Jean Prouvé’s younger brother, Henri, also an architect, participated in the adventure. Together they won the competition and received, in May 1950, a state order for two prototypes, one of which was to be installed in Bouqueval, in Val-d’Oise, and the other in Vantoux, near Metz. But, as was the case throughout his career, Jean Prouvé faced hostility from pressure groups. “It will not build other schools following this model,” explains Nathan Chicheportiche, who has just installed his contemporary art gallery in this school closed ten years ago.
Do not lock up children traumatized by war
You have 62.55% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
