Canaan Desk by Marcel Breuer for Gavina, 1950s

A Little on Marcel Breuer

Marcel Breuer, born in 1902, was a Hungarian born Furniture designer and one of the masters of Modernism. Having left home at 18 years old, Breuer became one of the first, and the youngest, students at the Bauhaus. His talents were quickly recognized and he was put in charge of the carpentry shop. In 1927, seven years after joining the Bauhaus, Breuer was put in charge of interiors, which led him to his first furniture assignment. In the 1930s Breuer left Nazi Germany and moved to London, where he was employed at the Isokon company – a prominent modernist design company. While working for this company he designed the long chair, which came about due to his experimentations with bent and formed plywood. In 1941 Breuer decided to establish his own practice in New York City, which he ran until his death in 1981.

The Style of Marcel Breuer

It is pretty easy to spot a Marcel Breuer due to their particular modernist style, and curved edges. While working at the Bauhaus, Breuer revolutionized Mid-Century modern interiors by using tubular steel to create frames, taking inspiration from bicycle construction and local plumbers. When working in London he began experimenting with wood – especially with plywood – employing the same curved techniques to the thin wood. The Wassily Chair, the most famous piece designed by Marcel Breuer, is rumoured to have been designed for the artist Wassily Kandinsky, though this has never been proven. With his signature tubular steel frame, the leather creates a comfortable and practical chair for all rooms.

Marcel Breuer and His Architecture

Though Marcel Breuer is a very well recognized furniture designer, he is probably best known for his contribution to architecture. One of his contributions was the 'binuclear' house – creating separate wings for the bedroom and the living room, separated by a hall. His first two important buildings were the UNESCO Headquarters in Pari, and the Master Plan and Church at St. John's Abbey in Minnesota. Breuer went on to design over 100 buildings in his 30 years as a architect. In 1968, he was awarded the Gold medal of the American Institute of Architects at their 100th convention.

Marcel Breuer at Pamono

Marcel Breuer produced many great pieces of furniture during his years working in interiors at Bauhaus. At Pamono we have carefully curated and hand picked some of his Design Classics to ensure all pieces are top-quality. Breuer's office and desk chairs are particularly well known and featured in our collection. With our strict quality controls and sage online payments, Pamono guarantees customer satisfaction.