B40 Breuer Chair

The B40 Breuer Chair emerged from a new idea, developed from the Bauhaus stool, which was rotated by 90 degrees. The resulting B40 became the epitome of Bauhaus modernism, which revolted against heavy furniture and unwieldy masses. Here the geometry follows the body. The backrest is slightly bent backwards at the level of the lumbar spine and ends in an arch, which makes the chair easy to transport. Perhaps not structurally necessary, but what is highly aesthetic is the double strut at the front, which stiffens the chair and sets a rhythm in the room.

B40 was designed by Marcel Breuer. Breuer is one of the most legendary names in modernist and Bauhaus-era design. After training at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, he became a student at the Bauhaus, learning under Walter Gropius. After the Bauhaus moved to Dessau, Breuer became part of the teaching faculty. He worked on a number of tubular steel furniture designs through the 1920's and eventually ended up losing a lawsuit with Mart Stam for one of their most iconic designs. Breuer continued to design furniture such as the Wassily chair along with bent plywood furniture throughout his career. He was also actively involved in architectural projects throughout. By 1937, Breuer would become faculty at Harvard's GSD. After this, he would design dozens of projects across the US, primarily homes on the east coast. Today, he is perhaps best known for his furniture such as the Cesca chair and brutalist architectural works such as the Met Breuer in New York City.