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Standard SP chair, Prouvé Blé Vert - deep black
Description
Vitra’s Standard SP is a plastic version of Jean Prouvé's iconic Standard Chair. Designed in 1934, Standard Chair has a unique metal structure inspired by Prouvé’s engineering background. Because most of the weight is carried by the chair’s back legs, Prouvé decided to place large, hollow steel legs on the back and slim ones on the front.
The green hue of the chair's frame is part of Jean Prouvé’s original color chart, which he developed himself. The shade is called Blé Vert, "green wheat", and it alludes to the fresh hue of young wheat. With its pleasantly shaped seat and backrest in durable plastic, the Standard SP (Siège en Plastique) makes an excellent dining chair, and its design matches perfectly with Vitra's EM Table, which was also designed by Prouvé.
- Width: 16.54 in (42 cm)
- Depth: 19.29 in (49 cm)
- Height: 32.28 in (82 cm)
- Seat height: 18.31 in (46.5 cm)
- Colour Green, black
- Frame material Bent sheet steel and tubular steel with powder coated finish
- Seat material ASA plastic
- Backrest material ASA plastic
- Warranty 10 years (product must be registered at manufacturer's website within 3 months of the purchase date)
- Product ID: AK21043612-18
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 esthetics
Trained as a blacksmith, French designer Jean Prouvé recognized 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 esthetic 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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