Cheapest house in Mayfair goes under the hammer

THIS could be the cheapest house in Mayfair — despite being a design classic.

A rare post-war French prefabricated building by architect and designer Jean Prouvé has been erected in Berkeley Square before it is sold at auction.

It is one of many made in the 1940s as an affordable response to the housing crisis after the Second World War.

They were built from steel, wood and a little aluminium and designed for construction in a day, but only a handful are thought to have survived.

This one, called the Demountable House, appears to have been used as a boathouse before its restoration, and auctioneers Phillips expect it will make between £600,000 and £800,000.

Prouvé was a 20th-century pioneer in furniture design and architecture who responded to an order from the state towards the end of the war to create his prefabricated houses.

Initially with a floor space of six metres squared, they were later expanded to six metres by nine and stand nearly seven metres high.

Alexander Payne, Phillips’ worldwide head of design, said: “Prouvés Demountable House was created in response to a housing crisis in France at the end of the Second World War and the few that survive are trophies from the story of 20th-century design.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer this example at auction and to be able to put it on public view at Phillips on Berkeley Square where it will surely be the least expensive house on sale in Mayfair — a parallel which would have resonated well with the artist.”

The building is a highlight of the auction house’s design sale, taking place at the end of the month.

It will be open for public viewing from Wednesday until April 28 when it will be sold.