Marcel Breuer

Marcel Breuer is considered one of the pioneering designers of the 20th century. With his legendary cantilever chair and his clear language of architecture, he left his mark on modern design – minimalist, functional and often ahead of his time.

Marcel Breuer (1902–1981) began his career at the Bauhaus in Weimar, where he was one of the first students and later taught himself. Early on, he experimented with new materials, in particular tubular steel, and in 1925 designed the first tubular steel furniture in the history of design with the “B3” model – later known as the “Wassily” chair. Inspired by bicycle handlebars, he recognised the potential of the lightweight, industrially manufactured material for furniture construction and thus created a radical counterpoint to the solid residential objects of the time.
Breuer’s designs always followed the guiding principle of functionality, but they never appeared cold: his furniture and buildings radiate a precise elegance that emphasises the essentials. After emigrating to the USA, he became a very popular architect and helped to shape Brutalism with concrete buildings such as the UNESCO headquarters in Paris and the Whitney Museum in New York. Despite their massive appearance, his buildings always retain a certain lightness – a balancing act between structure and space, technology and aesthetics. Marcel Breuer was not a loud innovator, but a constant thinker. His works show: Good design is not only beautiful – it changes everyday life.