Thonet - Desk - Wood, Steel, Metal

THE S 285/1 TUBULAR STEEL DESK: A SIGNIFICANT PIECE OF CONTEMPORARY HISTORY

As if Marcel Breuer had anticipated today’s home office and mobile computing: his compact tubular steel desk is an elegant companion for the modern lifestyle and way of working. Designed for Thonet, the desk is a successful example of the Bauhaus’s programmatic aim to unite art and technology into a new whole. As a trained carpenter, Breuer combined his knowledge of the material steel tubing with his experience in interior design. The tabletop and storage elements, made of lacquered or stained wood, integrate harmoniously into the bent steel-tube frame. The supporting structure forms a flowing line, within which the wooden elements—shaped by clear, precise forms—seem to float. This piece of furniture, balanced in its proportions, embodies a significant chapter of contemporary history, known as “New Objectivity.” Thonet continues to produce various versions of this striking model to this day.