Designed in 1925 by a young and visionary Marcel Breuer, the Wassily chair (originally known as Model B3) is one of the most influential creations in the history of modern design. It has often been described as a symphony of steel and form: light, geometric and, above all, revolutionary.
Trained at the Bauhaus under Walter Gropius, Breuer brought the school’s core principles to furniture design: function, structure, industrial materials and a pared-down aesthetic born of utility. At just 23 years old, inspired by the handlebars of his bicycle, he created an entirely new kind of seat. Instead of wood, he used chrome-plated steel tubing; instead of bulky upholstery, he opted for Eisengarn straps—a strong waxed cotton thread developed by Bauhaus-trained weaver Margaretha Reichardt.
The tubular steel frame of the Wassily chair, with 20 mm diameter bent tubes, posed a direct challenge to tradition. It was flexible yet firm, modern yet comfortable. Breuer finalised the design in 1925, continuing to refine it until 1928. The original chair furnished the rooms of the Bauhaus in Dessau, and its first production was undertaken by Standard Möbel, a company founded by Breuer himself and later absorbed by Thonet.
The name of the chair, however, came decades later. It was Italian designer Dino Gavina who, in the 1960s, rediscovered Model B3 and renamed it “Wassily” after learning that Kandinsky—Breuer’s mentor and friend—had been one of the first to show interest in it. In 1968, following the acquisition of Gavina SpA by American firm Knoll, the Wassily chair became part of the international design canon.
Knoll continues to produce the Wassily
Today, Knoll still produces the Wassily chair, offering it in leather and various colours, without altering its essence: a chair that redefines the boundary between art and industry. Its legacy is seen not only in its timeless visual impact, but also in the influence it had on later designs like Breuer’s own Cesca chair and Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair.
Breuer, whose career as an architect would eventually lead to the Whitney Museum in New York, once called this chair “the least artistic, the least logical, the least comfortable and the most mechanical” of his works. Yet perhaps for that very reason, it remains the most revolutionary—a turning point from which modern design found a new path.
Product: Wassily chair.
Designer: Marcel Breuer.
Design year: 1925.
Current manufacturer: Knoll.
Photos: Knol.
Marcel Breuer: the engineer of modern form
Born in Pécs (Hungary) in 1902, Marcel Breuer was one of the great figures of the modern movement. Educated at the Bauhaus—first as a student, then as master carpenter—he embodied like few others the school’s mission to unite art, craft and industry. His work, both in furniture and architecture, pursued functional innovation without renouncing formal expression.
In the 1920s, he revolutionised design with his steel tube furniture, including the Wassily chair, which signalled the beginning of a new era in modern furniture. Later, he moved to the United States, where he built a prolific architectural career. He collaborated with Walter Gropius, taught at Harvard University, and designed landmark buildings such as the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York (1966), now home to the Frick Madison.
Although Breuer never worked directly for Knoll, his relationship with the company was key: he was a mentor to Florence Knoll and recommended the hiring of Eszter Haraszty, one of the most influential figures in the brand’s textile division. In 1968, Knoll acquired Breuer’s furniture collection from the Italian firm Gavina, ensuring the global reach and continued production of pieces like the Wassily, the Cesca chair and the Laccio table.
Breuer passed away in 1981, leaving behind a profound legacy: a design capable of being industrial without losing its soul, an architecture of clear lines and firm convictions, and a modern vision that still surprises us with its radical clarity.
Knoll
www.knoll.com
Project by Marcel Breuer
