Still Facing Infinity: The Tectonic Sculptures of Erwin Hauer

Erwin Hauer Retrospective at Yale Showcases Designs for Spinneybeck | FilzFelt

The Austrian-born sculptor, Erwin Hauer, left behind not only a series of two- and three-dimensional tectonic works of art, but also a mode of thinking that spanned disciplines from art and architecture to mathematics and engineering. 

His highly modular, simultaneously organic work bends and reflects natural light in every direction slowly revealing its intrinsic complexity. The geometry and depth of Hauer’s pieces caught Florence Knoll’s attention early on, further elevating their status as “quintessential forms of modernism,” according to a 1954 Domus magazine review. Florence Knoll looked to Hauer for space dividers and light-diffusing perforated walls as she designed and planned the corporate interiors of post-war America. 

Today, Hauer’s designs live on and have been adapted for commercial and residential settings by Spinneybeck | FilzFelt. In the fall of 2019, at the Yale School of Architecture in New Haven, CT, Still Facing Infinity: The Tectonic Sculpture of Erwin Hauer exhibited screens and sculptures, including new designs in leather and felt.