The Vitra Compas Direction Desk, designed by Jean Prouvé, was originally developed through various models around 1950. Each featured the elegant splayed and tapered legs which echo the hands found within a compass - in French, "le compas".
Jean Prouvé completed his training as a metal artisan before opening his own workshop in Nancy in 1924. In the following years he created numerous furniture designs, this success enabled him to open his own factory in 1947. He left his mark on architectural history again in 1971, when he played a major role in selecting the design of Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers for the Centre Pompidou as chairman of the competition jury. In close cooperation with the Prouvé family, Vitra began in 2002 to issue re-editions of his iconic and timeless designs.
