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    Barcelona® Chair

    Ludwig Mies van der Rohe  1929

    How To Purchase

    Barcelona Chair
    Barcelona Chair
    Barcelona Chair

    One of the most recognized objects of the last century, and an icon of the modern movement, the Barcelona Chair’s simple elegance and graceful profile epitomize Mies van der Rohe's most famous maxim–“less is more."

    From the hand-buffed stainless or chrome frame to the individual leather squares carefully welted together, each Barcelona piece is a tribute to the marriage of modern design and exceptional craftsmanship.

    Knoll Classics

    Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Pavilion, 1929
    Image courtesy of The Architecture & Design Study Center, The Museum of Modern Art.

    As 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 masterful proportioning and planning, Mies created a rhythmic and entirely unprecedented space, which elevated industrial-age materials to a level of grace never before achieved. Inside, Mies included chairs and stools conceived as a resting place for the King and Queen of Spain. Determined to create a chair worthy of royalty, Mies is thought to have based the designs, with their signature crisscross frames, on the campaign chairs of Ancient Rome. Mies: “I feel that it must be possible to harmonize the old and new in our civilization.”

    Although the Barcelona Pavilion only stood for seven months, it is recognized as a defining achievement of modern architecture, as are the accompanying Barcelona Chairs (although the King and Queen reportedly never sat in them.

    Mies, a close friend and mentor to Florence Knoll during her time at the Illinois Institute of Technology, formally granted Knoll the production rights to the Barcelona Chair and Stool in 1953. The designs immediately became a signature of the Knoll brand and have been built to Mies van der Rohe’s exacting standards ever since.

    Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

    Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

     
     

    Regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of architecture, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s ‘less-is-more’ approach to design was the gold standard for many generations of modern architecture.

    Learn More
    Harry Bertoia in The Archive
    THE ARCHIVE

    Harry Bertoia

    Harry Bertoia was a complete and gifted artist. Knoll historian Brian Lutz once said “Bertoia’s paintings were better than his sculptures. And his sculptures were better than his furniture. And his furniture was absolutely brilliant.”

    Characteristic of the early environment at Knoll, Hans and Florence never demanded that Bertoia design furniture, but instead encouraged him to explore whatever he liked. They simply asked that if he arrived at something interesting, to show them. Needless to say, Harry Bertoia arrived at something outstanding. His iconic wire form furniture collection, introduced in 1952, is recognized worldwide as one of the greatest achievements in 20th century furniture design.

    Explore The Archive →

    Additional Info

    Construction and Details
    • Cushions
      • Standard: Premium quality, highly resilient urethane foam with down-like dacron polyester fiberfill
      • Relaxed: Soft density, fire retardant urethane foam blanketed with a non-woven fabric topper and an additional Dacron layer for a softer feel. The relaxed cushions offer a more supple and relaxed exterior appearance.
    • Upholstery available in a range of Spinneybeck® leathers and Edelman Leather Brulée
    • Two frame options
      • Polished chrome, hand-ground and hand-buffed to a mirror finish. Upholstery straps attached with aluminum rivets
      • Premium grade 304 bar stock stainless steel. Frame is shaped, welded and hand-buffed to a mirror finish. Upholstery straps attached with solid stainless steel screws 
    • The KnollStudio logo and signature of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe are stamped into the leg
    Sustainable Design and Environmental Certification
    • Learn more about Barcelona® Chair product certifications and materials at Ecomedes.

     

    Dimensions

    •   w d h seat h
      250L Barcelona Chair 29.5" 30" 30.25" 17"

    Upholstery available in a range of Spinneybeck and Edelman leathers. For full finishes, see the product sheet.

    Upholstery

    Volo Leather

    Volo Leather
    Acqua Leather

    Acqua Leather
    Sabrina Leather

    Sabrina Leather
    Brulee Leather

    Brulee Leather

    Frame

    Chrome, Polished

    Chrome, Polished
    Stainless Steel, Polished

    Stainless Steel, Polished

    Environment

    Whitesweep

    Detail

    Configure Barcelona® Chair

    The configurator below is for reference purposes only. All options, finishes and sizes may not be represented.
    For the complete scope, please refer to the KnollStudio price list.


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    General Info

    Document

    Barcelona Chair and Stool Product Sheet
    Document

    KnollStudio Price List Vol 1
    Document

    Barcelona Collection Brochure

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