Image source: Vitra — Cité
© Vitra and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research.
Cité
Prouvé's 1930 Cité armchair for Nancy's student halls, with steel runners and leather belt armrests
680 × 840 × 950 mm
1930
Approx. $5,900 (reference price; varies by region and retailer)
Official product information
INTEBEE AI PUBLIC LIBRARY is an independent furniture design research and discovery platform. Product specifications, finishes, availability and other details may change. For current and definitive information, please refer to the manufacturer's official website.
Go to the official product pageSpecifying Cité for your design project?
INTEBEE is the FF&E specification platform for interior designers: spec sheets, finishes, floor plans and client-ready PDFs in one place.
Description
Overview
The Cité is dated 1930; Vitra calls it an early masterpiece by Jean Prouvé. It has a continuous fabric or leather cover on seat and backrest, powder-coated steel runners and leather belt armrests.
Construction
- Seat and backrest under one continuous cover in fabric or leather
- Height-adjustable neck cushion of polyurethane foam
- Base of bent sheet steel, powder-coated (smooth)
- Plastic glides for carpet, felt glides for hard floors as an option
Specifications
- Fact sheet drawing: 680 mm wide, 950 mm deep, 840 mm high
- Seat height 335 mm (210 mm with applied load, EN 1335-1)
Story
Student halls in Nancy
The fact sheet says the Cité armchair was designed for a competition to furnish the student residence halls at the Cité Universitaire in Nancy. Prouvé used it himself in the living room of his own home.
Image source: Vitra — Cité · © Vitra and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research. · View official product page ↗ · Image use & copyright policy
Runners and belts
The armchair is recognisable by its powder-coated sheet steel runners and by broad leather belts that serve as armrests, and the fact sheet credits generous dimensions and inviting upholstery for its comfort.
More by Jean Prouvé
Guéridon
Jean Prouvé's round wooden Guéridon of 1949, made for the University of Paris, in two sizes
Tabouret Haut
Jean Prouvé's 1942 bar stool in solid oak, with a chromed steel ring that serves as footrest
Trapèze
Jean Prouvé's Trapèze table of 1950/1954, from Antony: trapezoidal steel legs and a black top
Chaise Tout Bois
Jean Prouvé's wartime Chaise Tout Bois of 1941, made entirely of oak without a single screw
Collection
Jean Prouvé Collection
Vitra's Jean Prouvé Collection: furniture produced with the Prouvé family since 2000, from the Standard chair to the Compas Direction desk, in original colours.
