Barcelona chair
The Barcelona chair is a chair designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich for the German Pavilion at the International Exposition of 1929, hosted in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Knoll Inc. Has manufactured the chair since 1964, although the chair was not known as the Barcelona chair until 1987, when Knoll named the chair based on its resemblance to furniture used at the German Pavilion.
Barcelona chair
Wasily at Dutch Wikipedia · Public domain
- Name
- Barcelona chair
- Field
- chair
- Period
- 1929
- Region
- Spain
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
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wikidata · Q733154 · wikipedia · Barcelona chair
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Barcelona chair • Designer — Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich • Date — 1929 • Materials — Chrome on steel frame. Leather cushions filled with foam • Style — Modernist • Height — 75 cm • Width — 75 cm • Depth — 75 cm
Materials and manufacture
Materials and manufacture
The frame was initially designed to be bolted together, but was redesigned in 1950 using stainless steel, which allowed the frame to be formed with a seamless piece of metal, giving it a smoother appearance. Bovine leather replaced the ivory-colored pigskin, which was used for the original pieces.
Current production
Current production
Since 1964, Knoll Inc has manufactured the Barcelona chair in both chrome and stainless steel. The chairs are almost entirely handcrafted, and each carries a facsimile of van der Rohe's signature, stamped into its frame. • Illustration — Barcelona Ottoman in situ at the reconstructed Barcelona Pavilion • Illustration — Barcelona Chair in situ at the reconstructed Barcelona Pavilion Unlicensed replicas of the original design are manufactured by other companies worldwide and sold under various marketing names. Such designs are frequently subject to legal challenges. • Illustration — Unlicensed replicas
In popular culture
In popular culture
In his 1981 book about modern architecture, From Bauhaus to Our House, Tom Wolfe called the Barcelona chair "the Platonic ideal of the chair", and wrote that, despite its high price, owning one had become a necessity for young architects: "When you saw the holy object on the sisal rug, you knew you were in a household where a fledgling architect and his young wife had sacrificed everything to bring the symbol of the godly mission into their home."
Chronology
Dated record
Chronology
Explore 1929
The full dated record · 3 entries
1929
Barcelona chair first recorded.
1929
Barcelona chair is recorded from 1929.
1929
Barcelona chair was established or created in 1929.
Places
Named by the record
Places
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- Spain
Philosophy and ergonomics
Although many architects and furniture designers of the Bauhaus era were intent on providing well-designed homes and impeccably manufactured furnishings for common people, the Barcelona chair was an exception. It was designed for Spanish royalty to oversee the opening ceremonies of the exhibition and was described by Time magazine as inhabiting a "sumptuous German pavilion." The form is thought to be extrapolated from Roman folding chairs known as the Curule chair upholstered stools used by the Roman aristocracy. According to Knoll Inc., despite its industrial appearance, the Barcelona chair requires much handcrafting.
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Barcelona chair, revision 1350715431 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Pfeiffer, Albert. Association of Women Industrial Designers Lilly Reich. 29 March 2013.
- 2.Lilly Reich: Designer and Architect MoMA. The Museum of Modern Art.
- 3.Jonathan Olivares is working wonders at Knoll, as the brand's Salone pavilion attests. Wallpaper*. 2023-04-19.
- 4.Martin, Hannah. The Story Behind Mies van der Rohe's Iconic Barcelona Chair. Architectural Digest. September 24, 2018.
- 5.Art: Architects' Furniture. 18 February 1957.
- 6.Barcelona Chair. Knoll.com.
- 7.How E-Commerce Changed the Knock-Off Furniture Game - Dwell. www.dwell.com.
- 8.Goldberger, Paul. From Bauhaus to Our House. The New York Times. 11 October 1981.
References
Citations
References
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reference work
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Secondary witness
Connections
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Connections
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Broader subject
1- chairTerminology
Established from a fact already recorded on a verified source.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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