In Paris, an ephemeral café revives the Prouvé spirit
“Be a good host” (“to be a good host”), this conception of designers Ray and Charles Eames, Vitra has made it its own. On its campus in Weil am Rhein (Germany), the design publisher has opened two café-restaurants to the public and offers its visitors the opportunity to try on all its collections in immersive settings. It is in this same spirit that a Café Prouvé was created, in the heart of the Conran Shop, in Paris.
Vitra, which has been reissuing the creations of Jean Prouvé for twenty years, wanted to celebrate the launch of new reissues by the master of modernism. For its part, The Conran Shop, one of the major furniture distributors (and in particular Vitra), had been looking for a long time to open a café within its Parisian boutique. Over the years, discussions between the two parties resulted in the idea of creating this space together as a tribute to the French architect and designer. A place with a nomadic vocation since it will fly away at the end of October for other cities in the world.
The Vitra teams imagined a kiosk whose counter is framed by two bands of white dots on a Marcoule blue background – a new shade developed by Vitra resulting from research on the colors used by Jean Prouvé – evoking the characteristic portholes of its architecture. Facing this small pavilion, where coffee and other hot drinks, fresh fruit juices, salads, sandwiches and pastries are served, customers can sit in a Cité armchair or a Standard chair, around the EM table or the one of the tables. A clever way to make you want to leave with one of these icons of modernity, since all this furniture is obviously for sale.
Café Prouvé, The Conran Shop, 117, rue du Bac, Paris 7e.
Open daily from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.