Vitra Cité by Jean Prouvé

Design: Jean Prouvé

The Lounge Chair Vitra Cité

One of Jean Prouvé's early designs is the Cité, a comfortable lounge chair created on the occasion of a competition. In 1930 it was used to furnish the student residence at the Cité Universitaire in Nancy. Prouvé later placed the dynamic-looking armchair in the living room of his own house. The armchair has characteristic runners made of sheet steel (powder-coated) and armrests made of wide belts. Its generous dimensions, high backrest and low seat height make the Cité very comfortable. The comfortable upholstery does the rest and guarantees maximum relaxation.

Retro furniture in trend

The Vitra lounge chair is part of the re-edition that the manufacturer Vitra has been reissuing since 2002 in close cooperation with Prouvé's descendants. The frame in black, Japanese red or ecru can be combined with the upholstery fabric Mello in similar colors or in contrast. Mello is an elegant fabric made of recycled cotton with a pleasant feel. Its robust body weave of strong melange yarn gives the Cité a lively look. The color palette of Mello comes in nine rather subtle colors, with pastel shades, natural tones and darker colors. The leather version is only available in black.

Jean Prouvé (1901-1984)

Jean Prouvé was neither a trained designer nor an architect, but had completed an apprenticeship as a blacksmith. For this reason he called himself a designer, as this name is internationally recognized but is not an official professional title. Between 1924 and 1947, he worked independently in his own workshop, and from 1947 onwards even in his own factory in Nancy, which he had to leave in 1953 due to disputes with shareholders. During this period, he created numerous articles and accessories of outstanding design, including products such as furniture, door and window fittings, lighting, façade elements, prefabricated houses and modular construction systems for trade fairs and exhibitions. Subsequently, Prouvé worked in Paris as a consultant on important construction projects. The last time the designer made architectural history indirectly was in 1971, when he headed the competition for the Centre George Pompidou and won the design by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers on the jury.