In its striking curtain wall of glass and modernist steel columns, Gordon Bunshaft’s International-style design for the Lever House — cocreated with Natalie de Blois — garnered widespread acclaim. The Pritzker Prize-winner was a legendary American architect, and his influence can be found today in city skylines all over the world.
Bunshaft studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before undertaking fellowships in Europe and North Africa. In 1937, he joined New York City architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill where he worked until his retirement in 1979.
Bunshaft shared the same interest in modernist furniture as Florence Knoll, an architect and furniture designer who had a subtle but profound influence on the course of mid-century American modernism and who helped make Knoll Inc. a leading firm in its field. Bunshaft recommended that Knoll be placed in charge of interiors when, while at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, he designed the Connecticut General Life Insurance Company’s headquarters in the mid-1950s.
Bunshaft’s projects drew heavily on the pioneering architectural work of Le Corbusier as well as Mies van der Rohe, an iconic furniture designer and fellow proponent of modernist architecture.
Celebrated architectural marvels created by Bunshaft include the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library for Yale University and the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Research Building for the University of Texas. Completed in 1974, Bunshaft designed the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and finished the National Commercial Bank in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 1983. The National Commercial Bank was his last project.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Gordon Bunshaft case pieces and other furniture.
C. 1969 Davis Allen and Gordon Bunshaft of SOM Bench 20 x 48
By Gordon Bunshaft
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Custom Rectangular Upholstered Steel Bench, designed by Davis Allen and Gordon Bunshaft under SOM. SOM, as it is known, refers to the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings &a...
Steel
1960s Gordon Bunshaft and Davis Allen of SOM Stainless Steel and Leather Bench
By Davis Allen, Gordon Bunshaft
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a rare stainless steel and leather bench designed in the 1960s by Gordon Bunshaft and Davis Allen of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). The design features a stainless ste...
Steel
1960s Organic Bench
Located in New York, NY
1960s organic bench. Solid walnut bench with dovetails. Can also be used as a coffee table.
Walnut
Late 20th Century Modern Italian Iron and Upholstered Bench
Located in Germantown, MD
Late 20th Century Modern Italian Iron and Upholstered Bench in good vintage condition. Measures 31" in width, 13" in depth and 24" in height. Seat height is 19".
Iron
Pair Of Brass And Wrought Iron Benches
Located in Essex, MA
Possibly Jansen. With brass duck head hand terminals and strap iron seats and arched classical style legs. Newly painted black and brass polished.
Brass, Wrought Iron
Convex Bench Series 48 in Natural Walnut
By Stamford Modern
Located in Westport, CT
The Convex Bench by Carlos Solano is a sculptural homage to mid-century modern design, where gentle curvature and thoughtful proportion meet timeless craftsmanship. Handcrafted from ...
Oak, Walnut
$5,445 / item
H 17.32 in W 59.06 in D 17.17 in
Bicroma Bench in Stainless Steel by Parisotto and Formenton
By Parisotto + Formenton 1
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Bicroma bench, finds its inspiration in Industrial aesthetics. Designed by Parisotto and Formenton, it is suitable for Classic or contemporary contexts. Its solid structure is comp...
Stainless Steel
Vintage bench 1960s
Located in Diest, BE
Vintage bench 1960s A design aesthetic inspired by the timeless work of Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Chapo.
Wood
Contemporary Bench Stainless Steel Aspe 120
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
APSE Bench is a sculptural exploration of structure and curvature, crafted in bent steel. Referencing the architectural apse, a semicircular form that defines enclosure and containme...
Stainless Steel
1960s Whimsical Bench
Located in Tarrytown, NY
1960s Whimsical wood bench, Vinyl seats. Nicks in finish, needs reupholstering.
Wood
Carved Wood And Wickerwork Bench/stool, 20th Century
Located in PARIS, FR
Elegant carved wood banquette, resting on four tapered and fluted legs, in a refined neoclassical spirit. The structure is finely crafted with turned and carved elements, particular...
Wicker, Wood
1960s Tufted and Cane Bench
Located in New York, NY
1960s Walnut and Cane Tufted Bench.
Cane, Wood
French Empire Gilt Gold Leaf Bench Oversized 48"
Located in Lake Worth, FL
For FULL item description click on More Details Below. Shipping Quote Information The shipping quote stated in the listing was from 1st Dibs and they normally set all the costs and ...
Gold Leaf
GIO Bench Series 48 in Espresso by Stamford Modern
By Stamford Modern
Located in Westport, CT
The GIO Bench is a sophisticated reinterpretation of Gio Ponti’s modernism, where architectural form meets modern functionality. Defined by its signature angled legs and subtle metal...
Brass