Marcel Breuer
Hungarian-American modernist architect and furniture designer.
Marcel Lajos Breuer (May 21, 1902 – July 1, 1981) was a Hungarian-American modernist architect and furniture designer. He moved to the United States in 1937 and became a naturalized American citizen in 1944. At the Bauhaus he designed the Wassily Chair and the Cesca Chair, which The New York Times have called some of the most important chairs of the 20th century. He is regarded as one of the great innovators of modern furniture design and one of the most-influential exponents of the International Style.
- born
- May 21, 1902, Pécs, Hungary (then Austria-Hungary)
- died
- July 1, 1981
- field
- Architecture and furniture design
- nationality
- Hungarian-American (naturalized 1944)
- known_for
- Wassily Chair, Cesca Chair, Brutalist architecture, IBM Research facility
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Marcel Breuer left his workplace at age 18 in search of artistic training and became one of the first and youngest students at the Bauhaus. He was recognized by Walter Gropius as a significant talent and was quickly put at the head of the Bauhaus carpentry shop. After the school moved to Dessau in 1925, Breuer returned from Paris to join faculty members such as Josef Albers, Wassily Kandinsky, and Paul Klee as a Master. He is recognized for his invention of bicycle-handlebar-inspired tubular steel furniture. Despite widespread belief that the Wassily Chair was designed for Kandinsky, it was not; Kandinsky admired the finished design, and Breuer made an additional copy for him. The chair was named 'Wassily' by its Italian manufacturer in the 1960s. In 1935, at Gropius's suggestion, Breuer relocated to London, where he worked for Jack Pritchard at the Isokon company and designed his Long Chair. In 1937 he followed Gropius to Harvard's Graduate School of Design in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The two formed a partnership that influenced an American way of designing modern houses. Breuer broke with Gropius in 1941, possibly to establish his own identity. He moved to New York City in 1946. His work includes the Geller House I (1945) with a 'binuclear' plan and 'butterfly' roof, the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris (1955), Saint John's Abbey in Minnesota (1954), the Whitney Museum of American Art (1966), and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development headquarters in Washington, D.C. (1968).
Reader's Guide
Marcel Breuer extended the sculpture vocabulary he developed in the Bauhaus carpentry shop into a personal architecture that made him one of the world's most popular architects at the peak of 20th-century design. His work includes art museums, libraries, college buildings, office buildings, and residences, many in a Brutalist architecture style, including the former IBM Research and Development facility which was the birthplace of the IBM Personal Computer. Breuer's architectural vocabulary moved through at least four recognizable phases, beginning with the white box and glass of the International style. He was a supporter of the Council for the Advancement of the Negro in Architecture and employed Beverly Lorraine Greene, the first African-American woman licensed as an architect in the United States. Throughout his career, Breuer worked with partners and associates, openly sharing design credit. His legacy includes iconic furniture and buildings that remain influential, though some later works, such as the HUD headquarters, have received widespread criticism.
Did You Know?
- Breuer was forced to renounce his Jewish faith in order to marry Marta Erps due to anti-Semitism in Germany at the time.
- The Wassily Chair was not designed for Wassily Kandinsky; Kandinsky admired the finished design, and Breuer made an additional copy for him. The chair was named 'Wassily' by its Italian manufacturer in the 1960s.
- Breuer's Geller House I (1945) was one of the first to employ his 'binuclear' house concept, with separate wings for bedrooms and living areas, and a distinctive 'butterfly' roof.
- Breuer employed Beverly Lorraine Greene, the first African-American woman to be licensed as an architect in the United States, as a draftsperson on projects including the Grosse Pointe Public Library.
- The former IBM Research and Development facility designed by Breuer was the birthplace of the IBM Personal Computer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Marcel Breuer?
Marcel Breuer (1902–1981) was a Hungarian-born, American-naturalized architect and furniture designer who became one of the defining figures of 20th-century modernism. He is best known for his pioneering work in both furniture design and architecture.
What are Marcel Breuer's most famous chairs?
The Wassily Chair and the Cesca Chair, both conceived during his Bauhaus years, are his two signature furniture pieces. The New York Times has singled them out as among the most important chairs of the entire 20th century.
What was Marcel Breuer's connection to the Bauhaus?
Breuer designed his most celebrated furniture pieces while at the Bauhaus, the influential German design school. His work there helped establish the school's reputation for merging industrial materials with refined artistic form.
Why is Marcel Breuer important to design history?
He is widely regarded as one of the great innovators of modern furniture design and a leading proponent of the International Style. His influence extends from mid-century interiors to contemporary Brutalist architecture.
What did Marcel Breuer do after moving to the United States?
Breuer arrived in America in 1937 and became a naturalized citizen in 1944. He went on to shape the American architectural landscape, with notable projects including the IBM Research facility, and became a prominent voice in Brutalist design.
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