This single bed was designed in 1954 by Jean Prouvé for the student bedrooms of the Cité Universitaire Jean Zay in Antony, a commune located in the suburbs of Paris. It was named SCAL bed because a first version of this bed was created in 1939 to furnish the staff dormitories of the SCAL (Société centrale des alliages légers, or Light Alloy company).

The bed presents a simple frame in tubular sheet metal structure closed and welded to four low tubular feet.
In the spirit of providing maximum functionality while optimizing space, this bed is equipped with a retractable night table articulated on one of the feet that could be stored under the bed. That ingenious swivel triangular shelf in solid wood was designed by Charlotte Perriand and was not integrated in the first version of the bed for the SCAL.