German Avant-garde Design

Postwar Metal Work

Dining Table / Desk

Steel, Glass

West Germany, c.1985

The 1980s in Germany saw a bold, experimental furniture movement called “Neues Deutsches Design” (New German Design). It rejected Bauhaus minimalism, embracing raw, provocative aesthetics with exposed metal structures, unconventional materials (like concrete, steel, or wire mesh), and repurposed everyday objects.

The movement was short-lived but impactful. It emerged in the early 1980s and faded by the late 1980s, roughly lasting a decade (1980–1990).

Its influence, however, extended beyond the decade, shaping later postmodern and experimental design trends.

Key traits:

Rejected comfort for statement-making forms

Focused on individual expression over mass production

Part of postmodern rebellion in West Germany

Table in good original condition, with metal oxidation and slightly scratched glass.

From a private collector in Berlin, Germany

H: 70cm x L: 160cm x D: 90cm