Norman Foster and Renzo Piano invoke his name. For many architects he is a landmark - Jean Prouvé, creator of the metal curtain wall, pioneer in its application and early initiator of industrialised building techniques. His unfailing ability to combine functional engineering achievements with artistic sensitivity commands recognition. The period covered in this latest volume is significant in many respects. The post-war years placed enormous demands on housing and school construction. In his Maxéville factory Prouvé developed pre-fabricated housing, facade panelling, light filtering and other systems on a large scale. He was inspired by the works of the automobile and aeronautics industry, developing new applications for aluminium, which he presented in the 1954 Aluminium Centenary Pavilion. Moreover, Prouvé s furnitures of this period have become valuable collectors items, some of which are now being reissued under licence.

Photographs by: Erika Sulzer-Kleinemeier