Postmodern Industrial Modular Desk by Bruce Burdick for Herman Miller, USA, 1981

A rare opportunity to buy a stunning Post Modern desk designed in 1981 by Bruce Burdick for Herman Miller.
Burdick’s first product for Herman Miller was the ‘Burdick Group System’, a unique assemblage of work surfaces, storage elements, and electronic equipment supports, all attached along a structural extruded aluminium beam in an endless variety of configurations.
This particular desk comprises of two split level worktops, a two drawer cabinet, a waste paper bin, two magazine/book stands and two accessory stands, all of which either clip or bolt onto the central aluminium beam. This desk has an end cap on one side of the beam and a hook to attach it to another desk at the other.
The underside of the beam includes inbuilt cable holders and one of the legs features an external conduit to keep electrical cabling out of sight. Each leg has three feet, each foot has height adjustable ’toes’. Stamped Herman Miller to the underside, plus a ‘Herman Miller action office’ sticker.
The desk is very robust and is therefore in super period condition. Both writing surfaces have areas of age-related wear and the drawer section is missing the key.
Measurements: 217cm W x 86cm D x 93cm H. The writing surface is 74cm high.
PLEASE NOTE: This is one of two Burdick desks we have for sale – please see the last two images showing both desks fitted together.

The Burdick Group received design awards from the institute of business designers and the industrial designers society of America. The following year, Time magazine named the Burdick Group System as one of the best industrial designs of 1981. The magazine described it as one of the first flexible office furniture systems to accommodate computer terminals and other electronic office machines.