Architecture Architect Marcel Breuer Modernist

Architecture

Architect Marcel Breuer

Modernist architect Marcel Breuer is well-known for his emphasis on the technical and structural aspects of his buildings. A focus on structure is also apparent in his furniture design. Additionally, his architecture is recognized for its attention to light and shading, particularly in the use of tinted or shaded windows and overhanging elements. Again, cantilevered design is also apparent in his furniture. Developing these visions early in his career, Breuer made himself known as an architect in the design of both public and private spaces. His work with fellow architect Herbert Beckhard illuminates many of Breuer's ideas, as both men focused on similar concepts in their work. This is perhaps nowhere more apparent than in their dual design of the McMullen Beach House in Mantoloking, New Jersey.

Born in Pecs Hungary in 1902, Marcel Breuer attended university at the newly formed Weimar Bauhaus, attracted to the promises of new architectural and artistic approaches (Marcel Breuer: architect biography, par. 1). He attended the Bauhaus in the early twenties and taught there after finishing his studies. Though the Bauhaus did not yet offer architecture when he began there, Breuer, aided by Georg Muche, began to study housing anyway. He had a particular interest in high-rise structures and soon after developed a seven-story apartment block that would be mass-produced in the years to come (Marcel Breuer: architect biography, par. 1). Following his time at the Bauhaus, Breuer spent time traveling and then trying to establish a practice in Berlin. However, this did not materialize and he was forced to flee from Germany during the Nazi era; emigrating to America, he taught at the Harvard School of Architecture (Marcel Breuer, par. 1).

Though he was accepted as a prominent teacher and architect within professional circles, his earliest mainstream popularity came from his work designing furniture. Inspired by his own bicycle, Breuer began to experiment with tubular steel furniture. One such chair that became widely popular was the "Wassily" chair; made for general residential use, it revolutionized the way that many people viewed their home furnishings (Marcel Breuer, par. 3). Obviously inspired by bicycle handlebars, the Wassily chair's mental tube design was indicative of Breuer's later building style as it emphasized the structure in a stark and minimalist way (Marcel Breuer, par. 3).

Working with fellow Harvard professor Walter Gropius, Breuer completed many significant projects during the 1930s. Among these was the well-known New Kensington, PA housing project for defense industry workers, which "established a new high standard of design for the federal government" (Marcel Breuer: architect biography, par. 2). Their work was also highlighted at the 1939 World's Fair, as they had designed an interior for the Pennsylvania Pavilion. Breuer and Gropius also built a number of houses in New England during this time, including their own. In 1941 he ended his partnership with Gropius, leaving Harvard five years later (Marcel Breuer: architect biography, par. 2).

In the early fifties, Breuer began working in partnership with a number of other architects, including Herbert Beckhard (Marcel Breuer: architect biography, par. 3). The early 1950s were also an important time for his career, as key projects made his name and his work much more internationally recognizable. Turvey points out the dichotomy of two of Breuer's projects from 1952: a manufacturing building in Oakville, Ontario Canada; and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters in Paris, France (74). The latter project secured a place for him as one of the primary architects of his time. Additional projects of note include the St. John's Abbey Church in Collegeville, MN and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City (Marcel Breuer: architect biography, par. 3).

As an architect, Breuer's style was engrossed with matters of light and shading. Use of tinted solar shading over windows was used in many of Breuer's buildings following 1953, including the UNESCO headquarters and the McMullen Beach House in Mantoloking, New Jersey. Such shading was first used by Breuer in a private home in Colorado; solar tinting allowed him to create a structure that offered full views of the mountains without concern for the solar glare that is common in buildings with large and numerous windows (Turvey 74). Breuer's continued use of the shaded method emphasizes his own feelings about form and function, as the shading was very practical. Not only did it allow for full views without glare, but it also reflected heat from the buildings before the radiant energy could get trapped within the structure (Turvey 74).

Another focus in Brauer's designs is his purposeful emphasis on building structure. Like his furniture, many of Breuer's designs draw attention to the structural features, including girders, beams, and wall supports (Masello 68). His playful cantilevered designs (again used in both his furniture and architecture) allow for symmetrical yet functional and simple aesthetic appeal.

One such design, finished with partner Herbert Beckhard, features all of the aspects common to Breuer's aesthetic vision. The 4,400 square foot McMullen Beach House, was built as a vacation home for Jacquie McMullen and family in 1960 (Masello 68). Beckhard and Breauer were challenged with designing a beach house for a property that was narrow, close to the road, and nestled between a number of other beach houses that formed a line along the coast. The eventual design needed to emphasize the coast and beach area while maintaining privacy both from the road and from the neighbors (Masello 68). The resulting structure incorporated Breuer's use of light and shading, his cantilevered design, and his emphasis on structure. Beckhard's style was also apparent, as he favored unobstructed interior spaces and limited beams that assisted in a feeling of "floating" ceilings (Masello 68).

The McMullen Beach House was a two-story rectangular block, seemingly stacked on a smaller, one-story rectangular base. The small block entryway on the ground level is made of glass and concrete block, with a clear view of the ocean through glass as people enter the structure (Masello 68). The upper rectangle is cantilevered out five feet in all four directions over the lower section. The design is raised both to add privacy and to maximize the ocean views. It also has a practical aspect in that it is less likely to be damaged during large coastal storms (Masello 68).