DOUBLE CEILING ELEMENT (MODEL 'METROPOLE') BY JEAN PROUVE FOR THE METROPOLE HOUSE

Double ceiling element (Model 'Metropole') by Jean Prouve for The Metropole House. Jean Prouve built two of these houses, one in Vantoux in Moselle and the other in Bouqueval, near Paris. Like the school, the accommodation followed the portico principle patented by Prouve in 1939 and used in a range of postwar programs, notably in the housing field.

The Metropole House was finalized in 1948. Adaptable to any site, it came in two sizes, 8×8 meters and 8×12 meters. The second, displayed at the Home Show in Paris in 1950, was the teacher's house. Its all-steel structure comprised two load-bearing portal frames, which defined the interior space while leaving total freedom for the layout. Read more...