to his work which made him a part-heir of Art Nouveau.” Prouve was dedicated to the ideal of transforming technology into socially serviceable mechanisms evident in his work at Clichy. He was interested in humanizing technology and his idea of structure was based on a natural conception of limbs, knuckles, sinews, joints and connections. At a time when the best modern architects such as Mies van der Rohe used semi-finished products (pressed steel, flat sheeting...) In their architecture, Jean worked these materials himself and therefore was able to economize on metal and create plastic forms of a kind then unknown to architecture. He was able to do this not only because he had a good understanding of the materials but also because he was like most engineers and industrialists who were not afraid of new forms. Although Prouve used finished products, they had already undergone much refinement and designing by him. “At a time when Le Corbusier’s dense, sculptural buildings in reinforced concrete were dominating one side of French architecture, Prouve reopened an alternative route of almost luxuriant metallic carpentry. The effect of this lingered on, manifesting itself in the steel and glass architecture of the 1980s in France”The building was a ‘Community House’ which provided multi-purpose space. It is known as a market-hall but could also allow for a cinema and/or lecture room. The reason why the space could allow for so many different purposes is because of its genius design. Many parts of the structural system could be moved to allow for different interior uses. Even the roof was variable. Prouve created an open plan in this building which had been initiated by Wright in the U.S. and the exponents of Art Nouveau in Europe. They introduced the concept of rhythmic flow of interior space, eliminating rigid room divisions. “By 1920 the interrelation of building type with materials an...
