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Tabouret Métallique stool, Prouvé Bleu Marcoule
Description
Vitra's Tabouret Métallique was originally designed by Jean Prouvé in 1936 and reissued by Vitra in 2022. Tabouret Métallique, which is French for "metallic stool", consists of a round seat and a fascinating angular leg structure, which Prouvé later also used in his Trapèze table. The Tabouret Métallique stool also works perfectly as a small side table, for example, next to a lounge chair, and it has plastic gliders on the bottom to protect the floor from scratches.
The vivid blue shade of the stool belongs to Jean Prouvé's original colour chart, which he developed himself. The name of the colour, Bleu Marcoule, comes from a power plant in Marcoule, France, for which Prouvé designed blue-hued furniture in the 1950s.
- Height: 44.5 cm
- Diameter: 38 cm
- Base diameter: 28.5 cm
- Colour Blue
- Material Powder-coated bent sheet steel
- Notes Plastic glides included.
- Product ID: AK21205841
Jean Prouvé (1901–1984) was a French metalworker, engineer and self-taught architect and designer who played a pivotal role in shaping post-war European design and design philosophy. Social equality and accessible, high-quality design were central to Prouvé’s work, and he is especially celebrated as a pioneer of prefabricated architecture, modular furniture and industrial furniture production.
Prouvé’s background in metalwork and engineering is clearly reflected in his most iconic creations, including the Standard chair and EM Table, both now part of Vitra’s collection.
Jean Prouvé – a pioneer of industrial aesthetics
Trained as a blacksmith, French designer Jean Prouvé recognised the potential of metal in modern construction from an early stage. In 1924, Prouvé opened his own workshop in Nancy, France, which by the 1940s had grown into an industrial-scale furniture factory.
Throughout his career, Prouvé designed a wide range of furnishings for French public institutions, while his prefabricated Maison Tropicale houses were shipped to French colonies in Africa during the mid-20th century.
Structures in the spotlight
Prouvé’s thinking had a profound influence on post-war European design and the development of prefabricated architecture. To him, there was little difference between a piece of furniture and a house: both were structures that needed to be rational, durable and suitable for industrial production.
During his career, Prouvé collaborated closely with figures such as Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand. He was also a member of the Union des Artistes Modernes, a movement that sought to unite art, architecture and industrial production.
Prouvé furniture: forever modern
Folded steel sheets, exposed joints and bolted frames became defining features of Prouvé’s work, creating a clear and purposeful aesthetic visible in both his architecture and furniture designs.
Since 2002, Swiss manufacturer Vitra has reissued many of Prouvé’s furniture designs, reinforcing his status as a master of modern design. Among his most celebrated works are the Standard chairs and EM Table, where robust load-bearing metal structures are balanced by lighter elements.
Who: Jean Prouvé
- French designer and architect (1901–1984).
- Originally trained as a blacksmith and expert in metal structures.
- A key figure in post-war European modernism.
- Designed both furniture and prefabricated buildings, including the Maison Tropicale houses.
- Known for the Standard chairs, EM Table, Lampe de Bureau table lamp and Petite Potence wall lamp by Vitra.
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