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Brutalist Glass

BRUTALIST STYLE

The design of brutalist furniture encompasses that which is crafted, hewn and worked by hand — an aesthetic rebuke (or, at least, a counterpoint) to furniture that is created using 21st-century materials and technology. Lately, the word “brutalist” has been adopted by the realms of furniture design and the decorative arts to refer to chairs, cabinets, tables and accessory pieces such as mirror frames and lighting that are made of rougher, deeply textured metals and other materials that are the visual and palpable antithesis of the sleek, smooth and suave. 

ORIGINS OF BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGN

CHARACTERISTICS OF BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGN 

  • Use of industrial materials — tubular steel, concrete, glass, granite
  • Prioritizes functionalism, minimalism and utilization of negative space
  • Spare silhouettes, pronounced geometric shapes
  • Stripped-down, natural look; rugged textures, modular construction
  • Interiors featuring airy visual flow and reliance on neutral palettes

BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW

VINTAGE BRUTALIST FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS

The term brutalism — which derives from the French word brut, meaning “raw” — was coined by architecture critic Reyner Banham to describe an architectural style that emerged in the 1950s featuring monumental buildings, usually made of unornamented concrete, whose design was meant to project an air of strength and solidity.

Le Corbusier essentially created the brutalist style; its best-known iterations in the United States are the Whitney Museum of American Art, which was designed by Marcel Breuer, and Paul Rudolph's Yale Art and Architecture Building. The severe style might have been the most criticized architectural movement of the 20th century, even if it was an honest attempt to celebrate the beauty of raw material. But while the brutalist government buildings in Washington, D.C., seemingly bask in their un-beauty, brutalist interior design and decor is much more lyrical, at times taking on a whimsical, romantic quality that its exterior counterparts lack.

Paul Evans is Exhibit A for brutalist furniture design. His Sculpture Front cabinets laced with high-relief patinated steel mounts have become collector's items nonpareil, while the chairs, coffee table and dining table in his later Cityscape series and Sculpted Bronze series for Directional Furniture are perhaps the most expressive, attention-grabbing pieces in American modern design. Other exemplary brutalist designers are Silas Seandel, the idiosyncratic New York furniture designer and sculptor whose works in metal — in particular his tables — have a kind of brawny lyricism, and Curtis Jere, a nom-de-trade for the California team of Curtis Freiler and Jerry Fels, the bold makers of expressive scorched and sheared copper and brass mirror frames and wall-mounted sculptures.

Brutalist furniture and sculptures remain popular with interior designers and can lend unique, eccentric, human notes to an art and design collection in any home.

Find authentic vintage brutalist chairs, coffee tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Style: Brutalist
Eisberg-Glasschale Design Pertti Santalahti für HUMPPILA, Finnland, 1970er Jahre
Eisberg-Glasschale Design Pertti Santalahti für HUMPPILA, Finnland, 1970er Jahre

Eisberg-Glasschale Design Pertti Santalahti für HUMPPILA, Finnland, 1970er Jahre

By Pertti Santalahti, Humppila

Located in Aachen, DE

Seltene finnische Eisglas-Schale der späten 60er / frühen 70er Jahre von Pertti Santalahti für HUMPPILA, unbeschädigt, original gelabelt. Signiert sowohl mit dem Künstler als auch mi...

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1970s Finnish Vintage Brutalist Glass

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Art Glass

Pair of Brutalist Mexican Glasses by Feders
Pair of Brutalist Mexican Glasses by Feders

Pair of Brutalist Mexican Glasses by Feders

By Felipe Delfinger

Located in Mexico City, CDMX

We offer this rare Pair of Brutalist Mexican Glasses designed by Felipe Delfinger, circa 1970. About Felipe Delfinger: In the year 1860, the German Derflinger family arrived at Mexi...

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1970s Mexican Vintage Brutalist Glass

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Art Glass

Art Glass BRUTALIST ABSTRACT FORM CONTEMPORARY CAST GLASS FROM ANDREW MUIR
Art Glass BRUTALIST ABSTRACT FORM CONTEMPORARY CAST GLASS FROM ANDREW MUIR

Art Glass BRUTALIST ABSTRACT FORM CONTEMPORARY CAST GLASS FROM ANDREW MUIR

By Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava Brychtova

Located in Stourbridge, West Midlands

A contemporary abstract almost brutalist form sculpture. This made in the Czech republic in cast glass using similiar techniques to the great cast glass workers like Stanislav Libens...

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2010s British Brutalist Glass

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$1,350Sale Price / set|25% Off

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Collection of 3 Ice Block Glass "Solifleur" Vases, German, 1960s
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Vintage German Vibrant Red Glass Tree Bark Vase by Ingrid Glas, circa 1970s
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Incredible set of 11 pieces of imprisoned glass brutalist modern Mexican glass cocktail set including 10 tumblers in two sizes and a cocktail pitcher all in amber recycled bottle glass caged by blackened metal bands. Designed and made by Filipe Derflingher...

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Felipe Derflingher Shot Glasses
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Brutalist glass for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Brutalist glass for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage glass created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, decorative objects and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with glass, art glass and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Brutalist glass made in a specific country, there are Europe, Germany, and Australia pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original glass, popular names associated with this style include Walther Glass, and Felipe Delfinger. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for glass differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $250 and tops out at $4,475 while the average work can sell for $393.