“A city in the city,” is the impression at first glance of the Vitra Campus at Weil am Rhein, not far from Basel. With its streets and gardens, factories and works of contemporary architecture, installations and restaurants, this is a microcosm in a green valley, where the industrial and cultural sides of the company can coexist.
Many international architects and designers have made contributions to create this urban dimension – from Frank Gehry to Zaha Hadid, Herzog & de Meuron to Tadao Ando, Nicholas Grimshaw, Álvaro Siza and SANAA. Many others, whose products have written the history of design, have lent their names to the main streets crossing the campus. Visitors can thus walk down Charles-Eames-Strasse or Alexander-Girard-Passage. Today it is finally possible to spend time on the new Place Jean Prouvé, the latest addition to a wider project to pay homage to the architect, designer and entrepreneur Jean Prouvé, organized by Vitra.
The new square is right next to the Fire Station and the Vitra Schaudepot, on the southern side of the campus, a large green area enhanced by furnishings (tables and chairs) by the designer, punctuating the area with its commemorative plaque.
For the opening of the square during the famous Vitra Summer Party, a limited edition was also unveiled of the Fauteuil Kangourou, the chair designed by Prouvé in 1948 and now produced (in 150 pieces) by Vitra.
The Kangourou is famous for its recognizable design: the weight of the seat rests on the back legs, accentuating comfort but also suggesting the animal in the name. The new version combines oak with metal legs in the color Prouvé Bleu Marcoule (developed in the 1950s); the cushions are covered in woven bouclé fabric, in a coordinated hue.
The teamwork between Vitra and the designer’s daughter Catherine Prouvé began in 2000, and has led to the production of many of Prouvé’s most famous furnishings: the Standard chair, the Antony and Cité seats, the Potence lamp and the tables Trapèze, EM, Guéridon and Granito, all the way to the recent Chaise Tout Bois.
Other results of this collaboration will appear in the fall, with the expansion of the colors of Prouvé’s items and the insertion of original tones applied to the Abat-Jour Conique, the Potence lamp, and the stools Tabouret N.° 307 and Tabouret Mètallique, as well as the Rayonnage Mural shelving.
