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.
$2,350Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 29.53 in W 19.3 in D 28.35 in
Early set Ludwig Mies van der Rohe MR10 cantilever chairs
By Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Located in Den Haag, NL
Two iconic MR10 cantilever chairs . Design by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Chrome tube frame ,comes with Black Leather upholstery . This set of chairs is an early 1960s example of his ...
Chrome
$9,433 / set
H 31.89 in W 18.9 in D 26.78 in
Set of Four Early Edition MR10 Cantilever Chairs by Mies van der Rohe, Germany
By Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Located in Hellouw, NL
With a silhouette that seems to defy gravity, these MR10 chairs by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe reflect the optimism and boldness of early modernism. Designed in 1927 for the Weissenhof ...
Steel
$2,830 / set
H 27.17 in W 19.69 in D 25.2 in
Set of 2 Vintage MR10 Chairs by Mies van Der Rohe for Knoll, 1970s
By Knoll, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Located in Milano, IT
The MR10 chairs produced for Knoll represent an original furniture design conceptualized by Mies van der Rohe. These vintage chairs are iconic, with frames that draw inspiration from...
Chrome
$4,048Sale Price / set|25% Off
H 31.89 in W 18.9 in D 26.78 in
4 Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Mr10 Dining Chairs 1960s Knoll International
By Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Located in London, GB
Complete set of four chrome cantilever MR10 chairs by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, in brown leather. This set of chairs is an early 1960s example of his famous design produced by Knoll International. The MR10 chair was first designed in the 1920s, and this set of four features the chrome springs on the backs and seats. Later the design was improved, with a shortening of the springs and a reversion to an elastic corset cord. The chairs still bear the oval sticker marks on the back of the bottom of the seats. MR10 chairs are really comfortable, and are a real design Classic, as seen in many films and other media. Our MR10 chairs recently have been used to decorate the interior of a restaurant in London, which was featured in Architectural Digest, Dezeen, Elle Decoration, and many other publications (as shown in the images, which are property of Child Studio...
Steel, Chrome
$2,240 / item
H 31.89 in W 28.35 in D 19.3 in
Early Original MR10 Chairs by Mies van der Rohe for Bononia, Italy, pre-1968
By Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Located in Milano, IT
A beautiful early MR10 cantilever dining chair, crafted in thick black saddle leather and supported by elegant tubular chromed-steel frames. The leather has developed a refined, natu...
Steel
$14,000 / set
H 31 in W 19.5 in D 27.75 in
Set of 4 Mies van der Rohe Leather MR10 Cantilever Chairs for Knoll Int'l
By Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Located in New York, NY
Set of 4 Ludwig Mies van der Rohe leather and chrome MR10 chairs for Knoll International. The chairs are of a cognac leather color with tubular chrome frames. Some of the chairs reta...
Chrome
$796Sale Price|20% Off
H 32.29 in W 19.69 in D 30.32 in
Vintage MR10/S533L Cantilever chair by Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich
By Lilly Reich, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Located in Tucson, AZ
This graceful, elegant, and beautifully proportioned "MR10" chair, developed from a 1924 design for a cantilevered chair by Mart Stam, was introduced by Mies van der Rohe at the 1927...
Chrome
MR10 chair by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, circa 1950
By Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Located in Dronten, NL
Iconic MR10 chair by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, circa 1950, representing an early and highly important example of modernist furniture design. This chair retains its original flat wick...
Steel, Chrome
Set of 4 MR 10 Style Cantilever Chairs
By Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A striking set of four MR 10 style cantilever chairs, inspired by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s iconic 1927 design. Featuring tubular chrome frames and handwoven cane seats and backs, t...
Steel
$1,800 / set
H 32 in W 22 in D 32.5 in
Pr. Mr. Chairs designed by Mies Van Der Rohe made by 32.5 Palazetti
By Palazzetti, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Located in New York, NY
Chic pair of classic Mr. Chairs, originally designed by Mies van Der Rohe at the Bauhaus, these example are later production, made in Italy by Palazetti, circa 1970/80's. True to the...
Chrome
Ensemble de quatre chaises modernes par Giancarlo Piretti, Italie, 1970s
By Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Paris, FR
Ensemble de quatre chaises de Giancarlo Piretti, modèle n° 106 conçu en 1967, Italie, édition Castelli. Ce modèle n'est plus fabriqué. Dossier et assise de la chaise en contreplaqué ...
Aluminum, Steel
Stunning Pair of Modernist Armchairs, Art Deco, France, circa 1927
Located in Paris, FR
This pair of modernist armchairs is amazing of modernity and creativity! It was used in a business man club in the city of Longwy, an Industrial city in the North of France. The des...
Bentwood
Rare Desk and Armchair by Jacques Adnet, Stitched Leather and Skaï, 1950s
By Jacques Adnet
Located in Paris, FR
These desk and armchair by Jacques Adnet are quite rare with its marine type handles. Thea are completely covered with a mix of leather and skaï (faux leather) which is saddle-stitch...
Metal, Brass
Chandigarh Teak Desk and Cane Armchair by Pierre Jeanneret (1896–1967), c. 1960s
By Pierre Jeanneret
Located in Paris, FR
Pierre Jeanneret (1896–1967), Swiss architect and designer, trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Geneva before joining his cousin Le Corbusier (1887-1967) in 1925. Together, they c...
Cane, Teak
Ensemble de bureau moderniste en métal chromé, Jacques Adnet ( 3 pièces)
By Jacques Adnet
Located in Paris, FR
Ensemble de bureau moderniste en métal chromé, Jacques Adnet pour la Compagnie des Arts Français, circa 1930 Designer et architecte français, Jacques Adnet (1900-1984) est formé à l...
Metal, Chrome
Modernist Umbrella Stand, circa 1940, Belgium
Located in Paris, FR
This rare umbrella stand was in the entrance hall of a 1940s house, since the building of the house. It is made of chromium-plated metal and black bakelite. Made in Benelux (most pro...
Metal, Chrome
