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. The Barcelona Chair, an icon of modern movement, exudes simple elegance and embodies Mies’ theory that less is more. Determined to create a worthy royal chair, Mies should base the designs with their characteristic criss-cross frames on the campaign chairs of ancient Rome. Of all the components of the pavilion, the Barcelona chair had the longest life as a standalone piece.
How much are Barcelona chairs worth?
Surely you’re getting a great quality product, but you might have better plans for the price you only pay for a chair. Although Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s instantly recognizable Barcelona Chair now anchors interiors all over the world, it was presented 90 years ago with a very specific purpose. As one of the most famous objects of the last century and an icon of modern movement, the Barcelona Chair exudes a simple elegance that embodies Mies van der Rohe’s most famous maxim: “Less is more. In traditional design houses, the cost of a Barcelona chair is the cost of the original design and that includes the original brand’s license.
Who makes Barcelona chairs?
The KnollStudio portfolio includes design classics such as the original Barcelona Chair or the Tulip Chair by Eero Saarinen as well as contemporary designs by people like Frank Gehry. As an aspiring figure in the modernist movement, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was chosen to design the German Pavilion for the 1929 International Exhibition in Barcelona. In the history of 20th century design, the Barcelona chair is considered groundbreaking and iconographic, and more than sixty years after it was first produced, it is still manufactured to its original dimensions. While materials and construction have evolved a bit over the decades since van der Rohe and Reich created their masterpiece, the ivory-colored cushions of the original Barcelona filled with horsehair are now made of urethane foam and dacron polyester fiber filling, which are covered with leather cut, hand-sewn And sewn with a button, tufted with material made from a single cowhide, its original shape has been retained.
What are Barcelona chairs made of?
DWR offers their Barcelona chairs, which are made of grained Spinneybeck leather in 6 colors and a chrome-plated steel frame. In addition, every DWR chair has the Mies van der Rohe signature engraved on the back leg, which is their trademark. The elegant side profile of the chairs is almost strikingly classic and is similar to much earlier Egyptian-style ottomans and chairs. Learn how the master’s showpiece became one of the most iconic (and sought after) chairs of all time in 1929.
The chair was first used at Villa Tugendhat, a private residence designed by Mies in Brno (Czech Republic).