Marcel Breuer: Building Global Institutions – Edited by Barry Bergdoll and Jonathan Massey
A scholarly reassessment of Marcel Breuer's architecture, examining the institutional buildings that helped shape the post-war built environment and cement his place among the leading figures of modernism.
Marcel Breuer: Building Global Institutions brings together a distinguished collection of essays exploring the architect's design approach, working methods, and some of his most significant commissions. Drawing on newly accessible material from the Breuer Archive at Syracuse University, the contributors offer fresh perspectives on a career that spanned Europe and North America and left an enduring mark on twentieth-century architecture.
Often associated with the powerful sculptural forms of concrete modernism, Breuer's work is examined here through the lens of the universities, museums, religious buildings, and public institutions for which he designed. The essays reveal how architecture responded to changing social, cultural, and organisational needs in the decades following the Second World War, while highlighting Breuer's ability to combine technical innovation with a distinctive architectural language.
Born in Hungary, Breuer (1902–1981) was among the first generation of Bauhaus students before establishing an international reputation as an architect, furniture designer, and educator. From his pioneering furniture designs to landmark buildings such as the Whitney Museum in New York, his work played a central role in shaping modern architecture and design.
Richly researched and informed by important new archival discoveries, this volume offers valuable insights into the evolution of modernist architecture and the role of major institutions in shaping the built environment. Essential reading for architects, historians, students of modernism, and anyone interested in the legacy of the Bauhaus and twentieth-century design.
Authors: Barry Bergdoll & Jonathan Massey
Publisher: Lars Muller Publishers
Format: Paperback
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9783037785195
Publication date: 2018