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    Barcelona® Couch

    Ludwig Mies van der Rohe  1930

    How To Purchase

    Designed in 1930, the Barcelona Couch shares the same simple elegance as the iconic lounge chair of the same name. Mies van der Rohe's command of line and material in all medium, from architecture to furniture, helped define the modern vocabulary.

    Frame and upholstery options

    With its metal legs, wood frame, and seat made from individual upholstery squares carefully welted together, each Barcelona Couch is a tribute to the marriage of modern design and exceptional craftsmanship. It is available with standard or relaxed cushions, upholstered in leather or fabric. The legs are offered in hand-buffed polished chrome, stainless steel, or ultra-matte onyx.

    The Barcelona Pavilion by Mies van der Rohe. Courtesy of MoMA

    Defining space

    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 elegance and grace. 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. “I feel that it must be possible to harmonize the old and new in our civilization,” Mies said. 
 


    Although the Barcelona Pavilion stood for only seven months, it is recognized as a defining achievement of modern architecture, as are the Barcelona Chair and Stool (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 brought a less-is-more approach to everything he designed, from furniture to skyscrapers. “Architecture is a language,” wrote Mies van der Rohe. “When you are very good you can be a poet.”

    Learn more

    Additional Info

    Construction and Details
    • Available in a range of Spinneybeck® leathers; Edelman Brulée leather; Haven linen-blend fabric; Knoll Textiles Fancy Twill; and Knoll Textiles Velvet
    • Cushion has 72 individual squares of fabric or leather from a single cowhide that are cut, hand-welted, and hand-tufted with buttons
    • Two cushion fill options
      • Standard: Premium quality, highly resilient polyurethane 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; relaxed cushions are more supple and casual in appearance
    • Belting leather straps with edges dyed to match are stretched over rubber webbing for cushion support
    • Color of belting leather straps depends on upholstery selection, except for the onyx legs, which are always paired with black straps
    • Bolster in matching leather or fabric
    • Tubular steel legs in a polished or ultra-matte onyx finish
    • Platform is Sapele Mahogany from Africa, finished with a protective clear lacquer
    • The Knoll logo and signature of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe are stamped into the frame
    Sustainable Design and Environmental Certification
    • Learn more about Barcelona® Couch product certifications and materials at Ecomedes.

    Dimensions

    •   w d h seat h
      258L Barcelona Couch 39" 78" 25" 15.35"

    Upholstery

    Volo Leather

    Volo Leather
    Acqua Leather

    Acqua Leather
    Sabrina Leather

    Sabrina Leather
    Brulee Leather

    Brulee Leather
    Haven

    Haven
    Fancy Twill

    Fancy Twill
    Knoll Velvet

    Knoll Velvet

    Frame

    Stainless Steel, Polished

    Stainless Steel, Polished
    Onyx Ultra Matte

    Onyx Ultra Matte

    Environment

    Whitesweep

    Configure Barcelona® Couch

    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 Couch Product Sheet
    Document

    Barcelona Collection Brochure
    Document

    KnollStudio Price List Vol 1

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