Galerie Patrick Seguin installs Jean Prouvé’s demountable house at Château La Coste
The French gallerist and dealer Patrick Seguin started collecting examples of Jean Prouvé’s ‘demountable’ housing in 1991, and since then has built up a large collection of these remarkable structures. Prouvé developed and patented the idea of his prefabricated house in the late 1930s, but it didn’t go into production until the end of the Second World War, when the French government commissioned 800 units to provide temporary shelter for those who had been left homeless by bombing. In the event only around 400 were made, most of which were subsequently destroyed or abandoned as the state constructed permanent homes.
Seguin has rescued many of these rusting shells, built without insulation or bathrooms, and in 2015 he commissioned Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners to make one of the original houses liveable, by adding electricity, hot water, a kitchen and a bathroom. Initially on show in the Renzo Piano-designed pavilion at the Château la Coste in Provence, the Prouvé/Rogers building has now been added as an extra suite for the hotel itself, and a select group of art collectors, artists and architects will be invited to enjoy the experience of staying in an original Prouvé house.
The interior of Room 30, as it will be known, has been kitted out with art and design objets from Seguin’s personal collection, while for those not lucky enough to be invited to stay, the Piano pavilion will host a parallel exhibition of Prouvé’s furniture, as well as associated art such as a Calder sculpture and a Léger watercolour that were formerly owned by Prouvé himself. Saving a design icon from undeserved obscurity, Seguin and Chateau La Coste offer a truly unprecedented opportunity to spend time in a uniquely designed and significant piece of architecture; a chance for the visitor to appreciate its design value as well as the structure's beginning and long history.
INFORMATION
’Jean Prouvé, l’âme du métal’ will be on show at Chateau La Coste until 5 March 2019. For more information, visit the Galerie Patrick Seguin website
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
Utilitarian men’s fashion that will elevate your everyday
From Prada to Margaret Howell, utilitarian and workwear-inspired men’s fashion gets an upgrade for S/S 2024
By Jack Moss Published
-
Gerhard Richter unveils new sculpture at Serpentine South
Gerhard Richter revisits themes of pattern and repetition in ‘Strip-Tower’ at London’s Serpentine South
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Vipp’s Scandinavian guesthouse offers a sleek setting amid a wild landscape
Vipp Cold Hawaii is a Scandinavian guesthouse designed by architecture studio Hahn Lavsen in Denmark’s Thy National Park
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Grand Palais restoration in Paris through the lens of champion fencer Enzo Lefort
As Paris’ Grand Palais prepares to reopen following extensive restoration by Chatillon Architectes, we visit the site with champion fencer and photographer Enzo Lefort, who documented the space ahead of the Olympic Games 2024
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Modernist architecture: inspiration from across the globe
Modernist architecture has had a tremendous influence on today’s built environment, making these midcentury marvels some of the most closely studied 20th-century buildings; check back soon for new additions to our list
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Louis Kahn's modernist mastermind celebrated through new collaborations
The legacy of modernist architect Louis Kahn lives on to inspire a new generation, thanks to collaborations with family and fans
By Marina Cashdan Published
-
Royan Architecture Month showcases French modernism by the sea
Royan Architecture Month 2024 launches in the French city, where many travel to see midcentury builds by the sea, from Notre Dame church to Palais des Congrès
By Stacy Suaya Published
-
Dip into the Paris pools and swimming culture enriching the 2024 Olympic Games
Paris pools, in the Olympics and beyond, have inspired fun, wellness and a love of sports in the French capital
By Ellen Himelfarb Published
-
Jean Prouvé’s House of Better Days on show at Galerie Patrick Seguin in Paris
The Maison Les Jours Meilleurs, or House of Better Days, by Jean Prouvé is explored in a new show at Galerie Patrick Seguin in Paris
By Harriet Thorpe Published
-
‘London Estates’ surveys the architecture and influence of the capital’s council-built homes
‘London Estates: Modernist Council Housing 1946-1981’, a new book by FUEL, is the perfect place to start for inspiration on how architecture can improve every sector of society
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Afrobeats and modernism: how the concrete ‘ruins’ of Lagos become a stage
We explore the relationship between Afrobeats and modernism in Lagos, as the Nigerian capital’s concrete structures become a stage for the music genre
By Olorunfemi Adewuyi Published