Modernism for the Masses

Jun 2

In 1948 the Museum of Modern Art commissioned Marcel Breuer to design a small house as a stand-alone exhibit in the museum garden, right on 53rd Street. Breuer’s vision would bring high design to the masses: a modern home that was relatively affordable, with separate zones where kids could play and grownups could clink martini glasses.

As demand for housing rose after WW II, Breuer’s house became an architectural template for residences across the U.S., much like my childhood home in the Midwest. In our house, a large fireplace defined the central living area, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows. Apart from the dining room chairs, all the furniture was built in; I have often wondered if the lack of freestanding furniture inspired my love for moveable décor. There were two separate bedroom wings, one for parents, another for kids. I can remember lounging on the radiant-heated polished-concrete floor with my cousins, bouncing red balls and scooping up jacks.

When the Breuer exhibit closed in 1950, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. rescued it from demolition and moved it stick-by-stick to Westchester County, where it now stands on the Rockefeller estate in Pocantico Hills. Today the house hosts artists-in-residence year-round, so it’s open to the public just a few times a year. I was fortunate to visit this spring, an experience I will share in my next journal post.