Structure of a 6×9 Demountable House, 1944

At the end of the Second World War, the Ministry of Reconstruction commissioned Jean Prouvé to design moveable pavilions as temporary housing for those who had lost their homes in eastern France. The main elements from the metalframe structure of a 6×9 meters demountable house illustrate Jean Prouvé’s constructive philosophy, according to which furniture and buildings alike could be readily dismantled, moved about, and adapted. The portal frame, ridge beams, and façade panels from this iconic house on view attest to the ingenious yet simple structure devised by Prouvé. The steel portal frames (here shaped as an inverted “U”) supports a steel beam and the roof structure while standard size exterior panels constituted the façade of the building. The open floor space could be configured with interior partitions, depending on the user's needs.