MARCEL BREUER: DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE

National Building Museum to be exclusive U.S. venue for retrospective of Breuer’s work

WASHINGTON, DC—Marcel Breuer may not be a household name in the US, but several works by this 20th-century architect and designer are among the most widely recognized icons of modern design. His “Cesca” and “Wassily” chairs, with their characteristic tubular steel armatures, have become staples of contemporary living and working environments all over the world.  By virtue of his innovative furniture alone, Breuer could be ranked among the most influential designers of the modernist period.

But Breuer’s significance extends far beyond chairs and tables, as is evident from a new, comprehensive exhibition of his work, entitled Marcel Breuer: Design and Architecture.  This retrospective of Breuer’s prolific and varied career offers a balanced exploration of his furniture, interiors, and buildings, revealing that he was a powerful force in the architectural theory and practice of his era.  Organized by the Vitra Design Museum in Germany, the exhibition has been touring Europe since 2002 and makes its exclusive North American stop at the National Building Museum from November 3, 2007 through February.

The exhibition opens with a section entitled Materials, which chronicles Breuer’s use of various materials—most notably tubular steel—in his furniture design. Featuring more than 50 original pieces, as well as drawings and photographs of his designs, this section reveals his explorations in solid wood, steel, aluminum, and even plywood. Breuer’s architectural works are presented in three sections: Houses, Spaces and Volumes.

The Houses component includes examples of the often modest yet consistently innovative single-family houses that brought him critical acclaim; Spaces presents Breuer’s four churches as examples of his masterful manipulation of structure and light; and Volumes offers a corollary analysis of his compositional skill. Twelve large-scale models of his buildings, along with drawings, floor plans, photographs, video projections, and digital media, help to illustrate the scope of Breuer’s architectural legacy.

The exhibition closes with a section entitled Motifs, which presents central elements and themes in Breuer’s designs. Throughout his career, Breuer experimented with and reinterpreted motifs such as protrusion, horizontal bands, and reclining rectangles in his furniture and architectural designs. November 3, 2007 through February 17, 2008. The exhibition opens with a section entitled Materials, which chronicles Breuer’s use of various materials—most notably tubular steel—in his furniture design. Featuring more than 50 original pieces, as well as drawings and photographs of his designs, this section reveals his explorations in solid wood, steel, aluminum, and even plywood. Breuer’s architectural works are presented in three sections: Houses, Spaces, and Volumes. The Houses component includes examples of the often modest yet consistently innovative single-family houses that brought him critical acclaim; Spaces presents Breuer’s four churches as examples of his masterful manipulation of structure and light; and Volumes offers a corollary analysis of his compositional skill. Twelve large-scale models of his buildings, along with drawings, floor plans, photographs, video projections, and digital media, help to illustrate the scope of Breuer’s architectural legacy.

The exhibition closes with a section entitled Motifs, which presents central elements and themes in Breuer’s designs. Throughout his career, Breuer experimented with and reinterpreted motifs such as protrusion, horizontal bands, and reclining rectangles in his furniture and architectural designs.