Taking part in a competition organised by the Ministry of Education in 1949, Jean Prouvé designed a rural school, the components of which could be produced in large numbers. The constructor saw in this program an opportunity to initiate a process of industrial production of economical constructions, applicable to a range of uses.
In 1950, the French government commissioned two prototype campuses, one at Bouqueval in the Paris area, the other in Vantoux, near Metz in eastern France. Despite the success of the demonstration, these schools were to remain the only models ever made of the large numbers so ardently hoped for by Jean Prouvé.
In 2016, GALERIE PATRICK SEGUIN commissioned Ateliers Jean Nouvel/ HW architecture to adapt this building in order to restore its demountable character. Developed in harmony with the existing materials, the project succeeds in bringing to light the nature of the structural system developed by Jean Prouvé.
