Early Barcelona Chair by Mies Van Der Rohe
About the Item
- Creator:Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (Designer)
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 29.53 in (75 cm)Width: 29.53 in (75 cm)Depth: 29.53 in (75 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:c.1950
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Brussels, BE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU9136238811022
Barcelona Chair
For the German Pavilion at the 1929 International Exposition in Barcelona, German-American architect and furniture maker Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886–1969) — in collaboration with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich (1885–1947) — created a chair fit for royalty.
The Spanish king, Alfonso XIII, was expected to attend the opening of the World’s Fair, and as Mies later stated, the chair needed to be “monumental . . . you just couldn’t use a kitchen chair.” In its X-shaped structure, the Barcelona chair recalls the ancient folding stools of Egypt and Rome and was designed with swooping lines and a luxe contrast of materials between the chrome-plated frame and quilted leather cushions. Like the pavilion surrounding it, the chair distilled Mies’s “less is more” aphorism.
By all accounts, King Alfonso XIII never got around to sitting on this modern throne. The pavilion, too, stood for only seven months before it was demolished. Nevertheless, the Barcelona chair was regarded as a masterwork of modernism, influencing countless buildings that followed with its minimalist aesthetic of marble, glass and steel, which gracefully flowed together from the exterior to the interior spaces. Out of all the pavilion’s components, the Barcelona chair had the most longevity as a stand-alone piece.
Shortly after the close of the pavilion, the Barcelona chair went into production, first handcrafted by the Berliner Metallgewerbe studio. It became popular in private residences, debuting in America in 1930 in the New York apartment of architect Philip Johnson, who had met Mies during his work on the German Pavilion in Spain.
Fleeing the Nazis’ rise to power in Germany, Mies, too, soon moved to the United States. He relocated to Chicago, where he became the director of the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1938. It was there that he met designer Florence Knoll, who would help bring the Barcelona chair into mass production.
The earliest models of the Barcelona chair from Knoll were released in 1947. The design company and furniture manufacturer made slight updates to the chair over the years in response to new technology, including in 1964 changing the frame to stainless steel. Prevalent in office lobbies and architects’ homes, the Barcelona chair has seen numerous imitators, so in 2004 Knoll finally received a federal trade dress protection for it and four other pieces by Mies.
Knoll continues to produce the chair, and although the 21st-century version differs slightly from the 1929 original, it still embodies Mies and Reich's vision of design elegance in its balance of function and form.
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Architect, furniture designer and educator, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was a central figure in the advancement and promotion of modernist design and architectural theory and practice. Like Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier, he was a hugely influential presence in the field, who shaped the course of 20th-century architecture both through his buildings and his teaching of rationalist design principles.
Born in the medieval German city of Aachen, Mies found an interest in architecture as a boy while working for his father, a master stonemason. He had no formal education as an architect, but learned his skills as an apprentice to the designer Bruno Paul, and as a staffer in the office the proto-modernist architect and designer Peter Behrens. Following World War I, Mies rose to prominence in his field amid the liberal atmosphere of the Weimar Republic. His reputation was secured by his work on the German Pavilion at the 1929 International Exposition in Barcelona (commonly referred to as the Barcelona Pavilion) — which Mies codesigned with Lilly Reich, his creative and romantic partner — a radically simple, poetic, open-plan building pared down to its architectural essentials. Mies would go on to direct the Bauhaus from 1930 until 1933, when Nazi-government interference forced the closure of the progressive art and design school. Later that decade, he made his way to Chicago, where he remained for the rest of his career as a practicing architect and a dean of the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Mies’s famed dictum “less is more” grew from his belief that architecture both guides and expresses the spirit of the times, and he envisioned the 20th century as open-minded, logical, transparent and liberated by technology. His best-known buildings — residences such as the Villa Tugendhat in Czechoslovakia and the Farnsworth House in rural Illinois; skyscrapers like the 860–880 Lake Shore Drive apartment towers in Chicago and the Seagram Building in New York — reflect that philosophy. As do the most famous furniture designs authored by him or codesigned with Reich.
Pieces designed by Mies and Reich such as the Barcelona chair (the authorized version is produced by Knoll today), stools and daybed, or the cantilevered Brno chairs, deliver a maximum of comfort and support from a minimum of materials: their “lavishness” derives from the precision with which they are engineered and constructed. For the collector, the allure of Mies’s furniture is at once practical and idealistic. Useful and functional, his works embody the highest aspirations of modernism.
Find vintage Mies van der Rohe chairs, tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Etterbeek, Belgium
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- F555 Lounge Chair by Pierre Paulin for ArtifortBy Artifort, Pierre PaulinLocated in Brussels, BE1st edition Oyster lounge chair ( model F555 ) designed by the french Pierre Paulin and introduced in 1958 by Artifort. The armchair has been n...Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric
- Pair of easy lounge chairs by George Coslin - 1960sBy George CoslinLocated in Brussels, BEPair of low armchairs with clean lines by Georges Coslin produced by Trevi Spa in the 1960s These armchairs feature a distinctive metal tubular structure that is provides durability...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Rocking chair in pine and leather, France 1970sLocated in Brussels, BEStep back into 1970s France with this rocking chair. Solidly constructed from pine, it is covered with a cushion in new high-quality leather upholstery. Do not hesitate to contact u...Category
Vintage 1970s French Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Pine
- Early Womb chair by Eero SaarinenBy Knoll, Eero SaarinenLocated in Brussels, BEThe Womb Chair, designed by Eero Saarinen and produced by Knoll in the 1950s, is a icon of mid-century design. Its curves and form redefine comfort, offering relaxation in any space....Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsFabric
- Bronze and leather swivel armchair from 1970s’Located in Brussels, BEThis leather swivel armchair from 1970s’ is a timeless design. The frame is crafted from bronze The patina, developed through years of oxidation, lends the bronze frame a distinctiv...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBronze
- Art deco armchair, 1960s FranceLocated in Brussels, BEArt deco style armchair from 1960s France, featuring new blue velvet fabric. Great condition. Do not hesitate to contact us for any additional information. We would be more than de...Category
Vintage 1960s French Art Deco Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Pair of Early Barcelona Chair by Mies Van Der Rohe by Stiegler 1950sBy Ludwig Mies van der RoheLocated in Aachen, NWThese rare Barcelona chairs were designed by Mies van der Rohe in 1929 for the famous Barcelona pavillon and produced by Stiegler in the 1950s. Stiegler was a small company who c...Category
Vintage 1950s German Bauhaus Lounge Chairs
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Barcelona Chair by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for KnollBy Ludwig Mies van der RoheLocated in Centreville, VAAs a rising figure of the modernist movement, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was selected to design the German Pavilion for the 1929 International Exposition in Barcelona. Through masterf...Category
Vintage 1920s American Bauhaus Lounge Chairs
MaterialsChrome
- Pair of Vintage Barcelona Chairs by Mies van der RoheBy Ludwig Mies van der RoheLocated in Dallas, TXA pair of early Knoll Barcelona chairs designed by Mies van den Rohe. Stainless steel frames with patinated black leather.Category
Vintage 1960s Lounge Chairs
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Knoll Barcelona Lounge Chairs by Mies van der Rohe, Black LeatherBy Ludwig Mies van der RoheLocated in Chicago, ILKnoll Barcelona Chairs, set of 2. Designed by Mies van der Rohe, originally in 1929. Black leather. Knoll manufacturer tags are dated 1987 on bottom of seat cushions. One of the ...Category
Vintage 1980s Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Knoll Barcelona Lounge Chairs by Mies van der Rohe, Ivory LeatherBy Ludwig Mies van der RoheLocated in Chicago, ILKnoll Barcelona Chairs, set of 2. Designed by Mies van der Rohe, originally in 1929. Volo "Ivory" leather This set is Knoll's latest production. Manufacturer's stamp/ signature o...Category
2010s Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Mies van der Rohe for Knoll Barcelona Chair and StoolBy Knoll, Ludwig Mies van der RoheLocated in Dallas, TXMies van der Rohe's iconic Barcelona chair with stool. Stamped Knoll.Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal