Galerie Patrick Seguin in Paris has brought a 1944 house by architect Jean Prouvé to Design Miami.Paris, where it was reinterpreted as a Japanese pavilion.
The 6×6 Demountable House was designed in the 1940s to be assembled at speed and function as housing for those who had been made homeless by war.
It is currently for sale via Galerie Patrick Seguin and on show in the gardens of the Hôtel de Maisons during Design Miami.Paris.
“This house was designed at the end of the second world war to provide temporary accommodation for displaced families whilst their homes were being rebuilt,” the gallery’s founder Patrick Seguin told Dezeen.
“Its exposed structure showcases all of Prouvé’s ingenuity; he was able to respond to the urgency of post-war reconstruction with a design that could be assembled in a single day,” Seguin continued.
For Design Miami.Paris, the gallery reimagined its interior as a contemporary chashitsu – a traditional Japanese pavilion used for tea ceremonies.
“This new reading creates a dialogue between Prouvé’s architecture and Japanese aesthetics and reflects the close ties he maintained throughout his life with Japan, where he was invited to give lectures on several occasions,” Seguin said.
“Japanese architect Reiko Hayama was also one of his closest collaborators, joining his atelier in the early 1970s.”
Time-lapse movie shows construction of Richard Rogers’ revamped Prouvé house
Because it had been designed to be demountable, taking the wooden house to Paris for the show was easy, according to the gallery.
“Prouvé designed the houses to be easily assembled and dismantled; that’s the ingenuity of these structures,” Seguin said. “The 6×6 house only requires a single day to be assembled by three people.”
After the end of Design Miami.Paris, the Prouvé house “will no doubt be moved to its new owner’s home,” the gallerist concluded.
This year’s edition of Design Miami.Paris also saw Apple unveil its Designers of Tomorrow.
The Jean Prouvé house is on show at Design Miami.Paris 2026 from 21 to 25 October 2026 at L’hôtel de Maisons, 51 Rue de l’Université, 75007 Paris, France. See Dezeen Events Guide for more design events and exhibitions around the world.
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Photography by Galerie Patrick Seguin
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