Marcel Breuer, Wassily armchair
Marcel Breuer designed the B3 chair between 1925 and 1926. The painter Wassily Kandinsky quickly succumbed to the charms of this seat with its innovative curves. The Hungarian designer therefore made a model for his friend, who installed it in his private apartments. It was when it was reissued by the Italian manufacturer Dino Gavina, who heard about this anecdote about Kandinsky, that the chair became famous under the name "Wassily".
Elegant and innovative, the Wassily chair has a sleek design. Its frame is made of steel tubes. The first models are covered with black, white or mesh fabric straps. Later, the Gavina house will replace the fabric with a more noble material: leather. During the design, Marcel Breuer favors the functional aspect to the detriment of aesthetics in the purest Bauhaus tradition. The dimensions of this chair are reduced to a minimum to save space. Still in this same spirit, a folding version is available. Ultimate consecration, the Wassily armchair won the prize of the Museum of Modern Art in 1968 and 1982.
The reproduction rights to the Wassily chair passed from hand to hand for several years. From 1925 to 1962, it was produced by Thonet. In 1968, it was the turn of the Gavina house. The latter was bought the same year by the American publisher Knoll, which has since acquired the licenses for many other creations by the talented designer Marcel Breuer. Thus, Knoll continues to manufacture and market the Wassily chair, spreading its minimalist aesthetic throughout the world.
With its curved steel tubes inspired by bicycle handlebars, its thick canvas seat and its unrivaled lightness, the chair designed by Breuer has become a monument of design.
Designer: Marcel Breuer
Publisher: Knoll
Dimensions: 78 x 74 x 65 cm
Marcel Breuer imagined the B3 chair, between 1925 and 1926. The painter Wassily Kandinsky quickly succumbed to the charms of this seat with its innovative curves. The Hungarian designer made a model for his friend, who installed it in his private apartments. It is during its reissue by the Italian manufacturer Dino Gavina, who had echoes of this anecdote about Kandinsky, that the chair became famous under the name "Wassily".
Elegant and innovative, the Wassily chair has a pure design. Its frame is made of steel tubes. The first models are dressed with black, white or lattice fabric straps. Later, Gavina will replace the fabric with a more noble fabric: leather. Marcel Breuer's design was based on functionality at the expense of aesthetics in the Bauhaus tradition. The dimensions of this chair are reduced to a minimum to save space. In the same spirit, a folding version is also available. Ultimate consecration, the Wassily chair won the Museum of Modern Art prize in 1968 and 1982.
The reproduction rights of the Wassily chair pass from hand to hand for several years. From 1925 to 1962, it is produced by Thonet. In 1968, it was with the turn of the house Gavina. In the same year, Gavina was bought by the American publisher Knoll, which has since acquired the licenses for many other creations by the talented designer Marcel Breuer. Knoll continues to manufacture and market the Wassily chair, spreading its minimalist aesthetic throughout the world.
With its curved steel tubes inspired by a bicycle handlebar, its thick canvas seat and its incomparable lightness, the chair signed Breuer has become a monument of design.
Designer: Marcel Breuer
Publisher: Knoll
Dimensions: 78 x 74 x 65 cm