Vitra Table Compas Direction Table
Vitra Table Compas Direction Table
Vitra Table Compas Direction Table
Vitra Table Compas Direction Table
Vitra Table Compas Direction Table
Vitra Table Compas Direction Table
Vitra Table Compas Direction Table
Vitra Table Compas Direction Table

Compas Direction Table

$4,560

Made by Vitra

Designed by Jean Prouvé

Jean Prouvé spent his career dissolving the boundary between construction and design. The Compas Direction Table is among his most expressive statements: legs that splay outward like the arms of a draftsman's compass, each angle calculated for structural necessity and refined into something quietly poetic.

The base is steel, formed with the precision Prouvé brought from his metalworking atelier in Nancy. Against it, the solid wood tabletop introduces warmth and grain, a deliberate contrast that gives the piece its particular tension. Neither element dominates. Each earns its place.

  • Designed by Jean Prouvé, produced by Vitra
  • Splayed steel base with characteristic compass geometry
  • Solid wood tabletop in select finishes
  • Proportioned for use as a writing desk or executive table

Originally conceived for the offices of postwar France, the table carries that context lightly. Its architectonic clarity reads as well in a contemporary studio as it did in the mid-century institutions for which Prouvé first imagined it.

Typically ships in 2-4 weeks.

Pairs well with

Product Details

Details
  • Designed by Jean Prouvé in 1953 
  • Manufactured by Vitra
  • Frame and legs in bent sheet steel with 12 deep black powder‑coated finish
  • Tabletop in solid natural oak with oiled finish
  • Slender, elegantly splayed legs reminiscent of the hinged arms of a compass “le compas” 
  • Refined yet structural; blends industrial engineering with natural warmth
  • Well‑suited for a compact, contemporary home office or workspace
Measurements

H × W × D
28.75 × 49.25 × 23.5 in.
73 × 125 × 60 cm.

Shipping & Returns

Please refer to our shipping and return & exchange policy.

Warranty

Luminaire is an authorized retailer of Vitra. The product comes with a full manufacturer warranty.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who designed the Compas Direction Table and when?

Jean Prouvé designed the Compas Direction Table in the 1950s. Prouvé was a French designer and engineer whose work bridged industrial fabrication and architectural thinking, and this desk is among his most recognized furniture designs.

What materials are used in the Compas Direction Table?

The table combines a solid wood tabletop with a powder-coated tubular steel base. The material pairing is intentional, setting the warmth of natural wood against the precision of formed metal.

Is the Vitra Compas Direction Table a faithful reproduction?

Vitra produces the Compas Direction Table under license and in close reference to Prouvé's original drawings and proportions. Vitra holds the rights to a significant portion of Prouvé's furniture designs and works to maintain archival integrity.

What size office or study suits the Compas Direction Table?

The table's considered proportions work well in private studies, home offices, and executive settings where the desk is a focal object rather than a utility piece. Its architectural character suits spaces that treat furniture as part of a broader design composition.

How does Jean Prouvé's engineering background shape this design?

Prouvé trained as a metalworker and ran his own fabrication workshop before becoming one of France's most influential postwar designers. His furniture consistently reflects structural logic, using form to express how loads travel through a piece rather than concealing construction behind ornament.

Brand & Designer

Vitra
Wooden Dolls

Vitra

Vitra is a Swiss contemporary design and furniture brand, founded in 1950 by Willi and Erika Fehlbaum in Birsfelden, Switzerland.
Jean Prouvé
Lampe De Bureau

Jean Prouvé

A French designer and constructeur celebrated for structural clarity, industrial logic, and timeless furniture shaped by function, rigor, and innovation.