ISOKON

Brief

The first modernist apartment building in Britain, it was designed by Wells Coates under Molly Pritchard between 1929 and 1932, based on the concept of the minimal plan, to design and build modernist houses and flats, as well as furnish and accessorise them. It pioneered the concept of simple, stylish urban living.

Interior and influence

The Isokon flat is a bold experiment. It collected a number of minimalist living spaces, which not only made a great contribution to the experiment of minimalist urban life, but also provided an interactive and communicative space for artists and intellectuals, and further promoted the formation of modernist style.

Furniture and influence

In addition to this, the furniture in the isokon is also informed by the concept of architectural simplicity and stylish living. Not only is it functional and practical, but also a bold use of bent plywood as a material. 

An example is the Isokon chair by Marcel Breuer, designed in 1936. 

Measuring 135w x 60d x 83cmh, the birch-framed chaise longue has a seat cushion that can be upholstered in the client’s own material. 

Considered one of the most important pieces of furniture from the modern movement between the two world wars, this bench, along with breuer’s short chair and dining table, is considered a landmark in 20th century furniture design and, along with Egon Riss’s penguin donkey bookcase, remains one of the most iconic pieces in the collection. And the idea of simple, stylish living that they were trying to express in this architectural and furniture experiment has become the basis for much of today’s furniture design.