Mies Van Der Rohe

LUDWIG MIES VAN DER ROHE (Germany, 1886 - USA, 1969) for KNOLL.
Barcelona" chair.
Barcelona" armchair. Designed for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition.
Chromed steel frame, loose comfort cushions upholstered in black leather sewn with buttons. Lower upholstery with black leather straps.
Literature: C. & P. Fiell. 1000 chairs. Listed and photographed on p. 172.
Exhibits wear consistent with age and use. Missing chrome plating and rust.
Measurements: 73 x 78 x 90 cm.

The Barcelona chair (model MR90) is a classic work of 20th century industrial design. Mies van der Rohe created it, along with the ottoman and matching side table, for the German pavilion at the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition, a building that also marked a milestone in the architecture of the last century. The chairs were so admired that they served as a throne for the kings of Spain when they visited the Barcelona pavilion. They were seats with a structure made entirely of polished stainless steel, with the seat and backrest completely covered with pigskin upholstery. Later, in 1950, some adjustments would be made to the design for series production. Van der Rohe based his creation, in his personal line of modern classicism, on the "sella curulis", a type of seat used by Roman magistrates in antiquity. Moreover, the visible union of the stretcher frame and seat cushions as separate components, and the combined use of traditional and modern materials, suitably adjusted to their function, eloquently reveal Mies' personal vision of international style. Today, both the Barcelona chair and the matching ottoman and side table are still produced by Knoll, the company that purchased the license from the architect in 1953. Modern models are produced in two different steel configurations and in various types of leather in different colors. Examples of the Barcelona chair are now in major collections around the world, including the MoMA in New York.
An architect and industrial designer, Mies van der Rohe trained with Bruno Paul and Peter Behrens, and opened his own studio in Berlin in 1912. Between 1930 and 1933 he directed the Bauhaus in Dessau, although shortly afterwards the political situation in Germany forced him to emigrate to the United States. There he continued his brilliant career, teaching at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. During his career he designed landmark buildings mainly in Germany and the United States, especially his skyscrapers in New York and Chicago, the German Pavilion for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition and the NeueNationalgalerie in Berlin.