"Prouvé combines the soul of an engineer with that of an architect"
—Le Corbusier
The Direction armchair, designed in 1951, remains one of Jean Prouvé’s most invaluable contributions to twentieth-century furnishings. A reinterpretation of his earlier Bridge chair, the Direction model was ideal for offices and classrooms for its profuse accommodation of the sitter, though it was quickly adopted in other settings for its comfort and streamlined appearance. The chair features a tubular steel frame with sheet steel rear legs, two hallmarks in Prouvé’s œuvre that attest to his ingenuity both as a designer and an ironworker. Galerie Steph Simon later issued the chair, upholstering the chair in leather, vinyl, or fabric.
