Mid-Century Modern Freak

1946–1948 Robinson House | 236 Bulkley Street Williamstown, Massachusetts | Architect: Marcel Breuer

In 1946, after extensive research into modern architecture, Preston and Helen Robinson chose Breuer to design their house in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains in Williamstown, MA. The bi-nuclear residence possessed two wings, each of a different shape, connected by an entrance hall. A rectangular volume contained the garage and bedrooms. The living spaces were contained within a square volume reached by a ramp from the entrance hall. Low, fieldstone walls extended from the house into the surrounding landscape. A dramatic, triangular wooden truss lengthened the butterfly roof beyond the glass wall of the living room, shading the stone-paved east terrace. Breuer also created a sculptural, stone fireplace as a focal point for the living room. The house was clad in wooden siding and colored panels. Harry Seidler and Eliot Noyes oversaw construction during Breuer’s long trip to South America in the summer of 1947. The clients were extremely happy with Breuer’s design and lived in the house until 1975.

Source: breuer.syr.edu | archdaily.com | library.syr.edu | design-museum.de