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.
1960s Lehigh-Leopold Walnut Side/End Table w/ Legs Attributed to Gordon Bunshaft
By Davis Allen, Lehigh Leopold, Gordon Bunshaft
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a square side table, featuring a chromed-steel frame with a walnut top, produced in the 1960s by the Lehigh-Leopold Corporation in the USA. It is believed to have been custom...
Steel, Chrome
1980s Gordon Bunshaft & Davis Allen Side/End Table in Solid Stainless and Marble
By Davis Allen, Gordon Bunshaft
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Round Side Table, designed by Davis Allen under the leadership of Gordon Bunshaft within SOM for Treitel Gratz. This particular example dates back to the 1980s. This sophis...
Marble, Steel
1960s Gordon Bunshaft and Davis Allen Marble & Wood Table or Large Desk 42x72"
By Davis Allen, Gordon Bunshaft
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Large Marble and Steel Worktable or Executive Desk, custom-designed in the 1960s by Gordon Bunshaft and Davis Allen for SOM. It features a thick rectangular black and white...
Marble, Steel, Enamel
1962 Davis Allen & Gordon Bunshaft 30 inch Coffee Table in Steel w/ Granite Top
By Gordon Bunshaft, Davis Allen
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Square Coffee Table, Model TA-2, designed by Davis Allen under the leadership of Gordon Bunshaft within SOM. It's possible that Nicos Zographos played a role in the executi...
Granite, Steel
1974 Davis Allen & Gordon Bunshaft of SOM Coffee Table Granite & Steel 4x Avail
By Gerald R. Griffith, Davis Allen, Gordon Bunshaft
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a substantial Circular Coffee / End Table in Polished Steel and Black Granite, custom-designed by Davis Allen and Gordon Bunshaft for use in the Sears Tower in 1973. At the t...
Granite, Steel
C. 1985 Gordon Bunshaft and Davis Allen of SOM for Treitel Gratz Side/End Table
By Gordon Bunshaft, Davis Allen
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a round side table, designed by Davis Allen under the leadership of Gordon Bunshaft within SOM for Treitel Gratz. This particular example dates back to circa 1985. This sophi...
Marble, Steel
1965 Marble Coffee Table by Davis Allen and Gordon Bunshaft for SOM Architects
By Gordon Bunshaft, Davis Allen
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a custom-designed minimalist coffee table, featuring an impressive slab of fine Spanish Emperador Marble which is perched atop a welded and hand polished stainless-steel fram...
Marble, Stainless Steel, Steel
1966 Gordon Bunshaft & Davis Allen Green Marble & Stainless Steel Side Table
By Davis Allen, Gordon Bunshaft
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Marble and Stainless Steel Side Table, Model TA-47, designed by Davis Allen and Gordon Bunshaft as part of SOM Design. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP. was and still is an i...
Marble, Steel
1966 Gordon Bunshaft & Davis Allen Stainless Steel Side Table with Glass Top
By Gordon Bunshaft, Davis Allen
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Glass and Stainless Steel Side Table, designed by Davis Allen and Gordon Bunshaft as part of SOM Design. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP. was and still is an important archi...
Steel
1966 Gordon Bunshaft & Davis Allen Marble & Stainless Steel Side Table 19x19"
By Davis Allen, Gordon Bunshaft
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Marble and Stainless Steel Side Table, designed by Davis Allen and Gordon Bunshaft as part of SOM Design. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP. was and still is an important ...
Marble, Steel
1966 Gordon Bunshaft & Davis Allen for SOM Marble & Stainless Steel Side Table
By Davis Allen, Gordon Bunshaft
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Marble and Stainless Steel Side Table, Model TA-47, designed by Davis Allen and Gordon Bunshaft as part of SOM Design. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP. was and still is an i...
Marble, Steel
1960s Davis Allen and Gordon Bunshaft Round Side Table Stainless w/ Marble Top
By Davis Allen, Gordon Bunshaft
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Round Side Table, designed by Davis Allen under the leadership of Gordon Bunshaft within SOM. Its possible that Nicos Zographos played a role in the execution of this, thou...
Marble, Steel
1965 Gordon Bunshaft and Davis Allen for SOM TA-39 Marble and Steel Side Table
By Davis Allen, Gordon Bunshaft
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a sophisticated marble and stainless steel side table, Model TA-39, designed by Davis Allen and Gordon Bunshaft of SOM. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is a hugely important archi...
Marble, Steel
1965 Gordon Bunshaft and Davis Allen for SOM TA-39 Marble and Steel Side Table
By Davis Allen, Gordon Bunshaft
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a sophisticated marble and stainless steel side table, Model TA-39, designed by Davis Allen and Gordon Bunshaft of SOM. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is a hugely important archi...
Marble, Steel
1974 Davis Allen & Gordon Bunshaft of SOM Coffee Table Granite & Steel 4x Avail
By Gordon Bunshaft, Davis Allen, Gerald R. Griffith
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a substantial Square Coffee Table in Polished Steel and Black Granite, custom-designed by Davis Allen and Gordon Bunshaft for SOM for use in the Sears Tower in 1973. SOM refe...
Granite, Steel
1970s Gordon Bunshaft & Davis Allen of SOM Bronze Coffee Table by Treitel Gratz
By Treitel Gratz, Davis Allen, Gordon Bunshaft
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This table came from the private collection of Gratz Industries, known formerly as Treitel Gratz. The base is constructed from solid and tubular bronze, which was designed to accommo...
Marble, Bronze
Vintage Italian Pink Granite Coffee Table with Beveled Glass Top
Located in Chicago, IL
An Italian coffee table from the 1980s, composed of four solid granite blocks veined in dusty rose and slate gray. The rectangular glass top settles into their carved notches, its be...
Stone
Side Table, 1960s
Located in Ljubljana, SI
Vintage side table Period: 1960s Material: wood, formica Colour: Clear, dark red Condition: good original vintage condition, signs of use dimensions: Height = 58cm, di...
Hardwood
Pair of Brass and Glass End or Side Tables
By Milo Baughman
Located in Redding, CT
Pair of Hollywood Regency Brass and Glass end tables with mirrored bottom shelves. Art deco 1980's post modern style. These...
Brass
Italian Marble Coffee or Side Table, 1980s
Located in Oud Beijerland, NL
Very nice Italian coffee or side table, fabricated in the early 1980s. It is handcrafted out of very beautiful marble. The fabulous marble features a very nice pattern of different ...
Marble
Danish Rosewood Side or End Table with Drawer, 1960s.
Located in Asaa, DK
Danish Rosewood Side or End Table with Drawer, 1960s. Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern square side table with large drawer and shelf. Drawer is divided into smaller compartments. Fou...
Rosewood
$4,007
H 29.93 in W 35.63 in D 77.17 in
Italian mid-century modern dining table in marble, wood and bass, 1960s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian mid-century modern Dining table in marble, wood and bass, 1960s Dining table with oval top in white Carrara marble. The structure on which the top rests is an 8 shape in dark...
Marble, Brass
$2,817Sale Price|20% Off
H 23.43 in W 13.39 in D 13.39 in
Pair of silver plated side tables with fluted legs attributed to Maison Jansen
By Maison Jansen
Located in Marcq-en-Barœul, Hauts-de-France
This very nice and elegant pair of side tables is made of silver plated on brass with 2 tiers and fluted legs. This is a French work attributed to Maison Jansen. Circa 1940
Brass
$6,800
H 29.75 in W 70.5 in D 41 in
Stunning Emerald Green Marinace Marble Dining or Conference Table or Desk
By Angelo Mangiarotti, Mario Bellini
Located in Hudson, NY
Breathtaking emerald green marinace marble dining table. This sturdy stone heavy has simple lines with a color and patterned marble which is anything but simple. This table is the su...
Stone, Marble
Davis Smoked Glass Coffee Table Walnut
By Tronk Design
Located in Cincinnati, US
A perfect mix of Scandinavian inspiration and industrial flare that cohesively come together to make a statement piece which embodies simplicity, functionality and elegance. The Da...
Glass, Wood, Walnut
$2,650
H 19.63 in Dm 18.88 in
1960s Gordon & Jane Martz Tile and Walnut Side Table Mid Century Modern Eames
By Gordon & Jane Martz, Marshall Studios
Located in Virginia Beach, VA
A 1960s tile table designed by Jane and Gordon Martz for Marshall Studios in Veedersburg Indiana. This table in walnut and dark gray glazed tiles. A...
Ceramic, Walnut
Florence Knoll Oval Table Desk 1960s
By Knoll
Located in Esperance, NY
For sale is this vintage Knoll table from the 1960s. The table is large and features a solid wood top with a heavy metal base.
Walnut
$5,465
H 28.35 in W 83.86 in D 44.49 in
Constructivist Architectural Table in Travertine Marble and Oak, 1960s
Located in Montelabbate, PU
Constructivist architectural table, 1960s. Two bases composed of symmetrical travertine marble elements with oak wood strips in the center, glass top with rounded edge. The reference...
Travertine
Polished Steel & Wood Desk Frame by Gordon Bunshaft for Knoll
By Knoll, Gordon Bunshaft
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Desk base that is original to an executive desk model by Gordon Bunshaft for Knoll from the Chase Manhattan Bank office at One Chase Manhattan Plaza in NYC, an International style c...
Steel
Gordon Bunshaft Executive Desk by GF Studios
By Gordon Bunshaft
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Architect Gordon Bunshaft (1909-1990) designed this rare Mid-Century Modern desk for the executive offices of the Reynolds Metal Company, circa 1958. Manufactured by GF Studios. This exceptional desk features raised stripe drawer fronts of alternating anodized and natural aluminum, supported by red anodized legs with a wood grain Formica top and a cut-out raised leather writing surface. Winner of the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1988, Bunshaft has been credited with helping to establish the International Style as corporate America's standard in architecture, at least through the 1970s. The architect also designed several important cultural institutions including the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington D.C. and the Lyndon Baines Johnson...
Aluminum
Executive Walnut Desk by Gordon Bunshaft for Knoll
By Knoll, Gordon Bunshaft
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Vintage executive walnut desk by Gordon Bunshaft for Knoll. Features two pull-out drawers with chrome steel legs and wrapped around chrome on the edges.
Chrome
Coffee Table by Gordon Bunshaft for Knoll American circa 1960
By Gordon Bunshaft
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Square Table, used for plants in Chase Corprate Office, with a green marble top and solid steel base. From Chase Bank Manhattan; architect Skidmore Owings &...
Marble, Steel