Pair of Barcelona Chairs by Mies Van Der Rohe for Knoll International, USA 1970
View Similar Items
Pair of Barcelona Chairs by Mies Van Der Rohe for Knoll International, USA 1970
About the Item
- Creator:Knoll (Manufacturer),Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.14 in (74 cm)Width: 29.34 in (74.5 cm)Depth: 29.14 in (74 cm)Seat Height: 17.33 in (44 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1970
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Amsterdam, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1039813450362
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.
Knoll
As a company that produced many of the most famous and iconic furniture designs of the 20th century, Knoll was a chief influence in the rise of modern design in the United States. Led by Florence Knoll, the firm would draw stellar talents such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Eero Saarinen into its compass. Their work would help change the face of the American home and office.
The company was formed in 1938 by the German immigrant Hans Knoll. He first worked with his fellow ex-pat, the Danish designer Jens Risom, who created furniture with flowing lines made of wood. While Risom served in World War II, in 1943 Knoll met his future wife, Florence Schust. She had studied and worked with eminent emigré leaders of the Bauhaus, including Mies, Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer. She won Knoll over with Bauhaus notions of industrial arts, and an aesthetic that featured flat and tubular metal frames and angular forms. When Hans died in a car crash in 1955, Florence Knoll was appointed head of the company. It was as much through her holistic approach to design — a core division of the firm was dedicated to planning office systems — as Knoll's mid-century modern furnishings themselves that she brought about the sleek and efficient transformation of the American workplace.
Today, classic Knoll furnishings remain staples of modern design collections and decor. A history of modern design is written in pieces such as the elegant Barcelona chair — created by Mies and Lilly Reich — Saarinen’s pedestal Tulip chair, Breuer’s tubular steel Wassily lounge chair and the grid-patterned Diamond chair by Harry Bertoia.
As you can see from the collection of these designs and other vintage Knoll dining chairs, sofas and tables on 1stDibs, this manufacturer's offerings have become timeless emblems of the progressive spirit and sleek sophistication of the best of modernism.
- Pair of “East Side” Chairs by Ettore Sottsass for Knoll International, USA, 1980By Knoll, Ettore SottsassLocated in Amsterdam, NLA wonderful pair of “Easy Side” chairs, designed by Ettore Sottsass and manufactured by Knoll International in the USA around 1980. Made of high quality black leather with red suè...Category
Vintage 1980s European Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Fabric
- Harry Bertoia “Big Diamond” Chair for Knoll International, USA 1960By Knoll, Harry BertoiaLocated in Amsterdam, NLAn impressive lounge chair designed by Harry Bertoia, manufactured by Knoll International in the USA around 1970. This iconic piece is named the “Big Diamond”, after the bent diamon...Category
Vintage 1960s American Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Franco Albini Desk for Knoll International, USA 1960By Franco Albini, KnollLocated in Amsterdam, NLA wonderful desk designed by Franco Albini and manufactured by Knoll International in the USA around 1960. The unique frame of the table has chrome plated crossed legs on each side ...Category
Vintage 1960s European Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsMetal
- 1960s Dining set by Eero Saarinen for Knoll International, USABy Knoll, Eero SaarinenLocated in Amsterdam, NLThis set of five swivel dining chairs with matching dining table is a true icon of mid-century modern design, designed by Eero Saarinen and manufactured by Knoll International in the...Category
Vintage 1960s American Dining Room Sets
MaterialsFabric, Wood
Sold$8,773 / set - Pair of “Van Speyk” Chairs by Rob Eckhardt for Pastoe, Netherlands 1984By Pastoe, Rob EckhardtLocated in Amsterdam, NLA lovely set of two lounge chairs, model “Van Speyk”, designed by Rob Eckhardt and manufactured in very small amount by Pastoe in the Netherlands in 1984. The chairs have black lacu...Category
Vintage 1980s Dutch Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Office Chair by Preben Fabricius & Jorgen Kastholm for Kill InternationalBy Jørgen Kastholm & Preben Fabricius, Kill InternationalLocated in Amsterdam, NLA fantastic office chair designed by Preben Fabricius and Jorgen Kastholm, manufactured by Kill International in Germany around 1970. This eye-catching chair features an elegant, tu...Category
Vintage 1970s Danish Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- 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
- Pair of Vintage Caramel Barcelona Chairs by Mies van der Rohe Knoll, 1970sBy Knoll, Ludwig Mies van der RoheLocated in Danville, CAThese Barcelona chairs were designed by Mies van der Rohe in 1929 and produced by Knoll International in the 1970s. The chairs feature an incredible hand dyed cognac leather uphol...Category
Vintage 1970s German Lounge Chairs
MaterialsStainless Steel
- "Barcelona" Mies Van Der Rohe for Knoll 1970s Black Leather Lounge ChairBy Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, KnollLocated in Brescia, ITBlack leather in perfect condiction Upholstery in excellent condiction Chrome in excellent condiction "Knoll International" sticker label.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Mies van der Rohe for Knoll Barcelona Chairs circa 1979 Pair AvailableBy Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, KnollLocated in Atlanta, GAIconic Barcelona Lounge Chairs, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for Knoll, American, circa 1979. Signed with Knoll labels underneath. The leather retains it's warm original pati...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- 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
- Vintage set of Barcelona Chairs - Ludwig Mies van der Rohe - Knoll InternationalBy KnollLocated in Buggenhout, Oost-VlaanderenGreat matching Barcelona chair set in its original black leather in a mint condition. Bought in 1991 by its first owner. Designed by Ludwig Mies va...Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather