Barcelona Chair and Ottoman - Mies van der Rohe

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The Barcelona chair and ottoman was designed by Mies van der Rohe for the German Pavilion in the 1929 World's Expo in Barcelona, Spain. It is one of the most stylish and elegant pieces of modern furniture of the 20th century and probably the most recognized piece of modern furniture around.

In the USA, Knoll, Inc. owns the rights to the USPTO trademark, Barcelona Chair. Knoll makes the frame in two different steel configurations and several different leathers. The lower cost version is made of carbon steel with a chrome plate finish (approx. retail US$6000). The more expensive version is made of genuine #304 stainless steel (approx. retail US$9100). The frame is fully welded into a single piece frame. Thick leather straps supporting the seat pad and chair back are screwed or riveted into the frame. The padding used is PU foam. The cushions are wrapped in full leather and attached by hidden double snap buttons.

Though it has a "machine made" appearance it is almost 100% hand laboured. Mies van der Rohe's signature is fixed or stamped into each Knoll Barcelona Chair. The frames are made of massive suspension stainless steel. It requires extreme precision and highest craftsmanship to weld and finish the joints. Mies van der Rohe has done a fabulous work on Barcelona Chair. Reproductions are made by many manufacturers all around the world, under different marketing names. Quality of reproductions vary greatly. Knoll's Barcelona Chair is considered the gold standard and is highly prized (and highly priced).

Victor Papanek has observed that young architects scrimp and save to buy a Barcelona Chair: buying one is a rite of passage. It is proudly displayed in their homes.

The Story of a Chair

The Barcelona Chair, so named because it was exclusively designed for the German Pavilion at the Barcelona World Fair of 1929, was a design collaboration between the famous Bauhaus architect Mies van der Rohe and his long time partner and companion, the brilliant architect and designer, Lilly Reich. Lilly sad to say has only recently been fully acknowledged for her contributions.

Far more than any other piece of modern furniture, the Pavilion or Barcelona Chair, inspired by its predecessors, the campaign and folding chairs of the Pharaohs and the Romans, has proved to be the primary, enduring icon of the "modern classical" style.

Historic background:

The First World War had left all of Europe in a turmoil. The ten postwar years preceding the Barcelona Exhibition were extremely challenging for all governments as they struggled to house, feed, retrain and educate the unsettled traumatized masses in order to facilitate and escalate European and international trade and bring stability to their countries. Revolutions, the eradication of monarchies, new borders, great migrations from the Bolshevik State amongst other countries, the destruction of entire villages and towns, political regrouping and enormous cultural shifts all had to evaluated and integrated. Many leaders were intensely aware that they had to "pull the rabbit out of the hat" in order to get people back to work and enable them to feed their families if the contagion of revolution was not to spread.

Out of the devastation, designers, industrialists, architects and artists were inspired by new technology, materials and possibilities. Literary creativity and with it advertising and commercial promotion and film making commenced with feverish vigor.

The German Pavilion:

An enormous responsibility rested on Mies's shoulders to produce a very special building which would unmistakably announce to the world the resuscitation of cultured Germany's prowess, and adequately showcase their creative achievements and commercial viability. The renowned sculptor George Kolbe's work was shown to great advantage as was the Barcelona Chair.

Modern technological advances in steel and glistening sheet glass, enabled their integration with marble and travertine to facilitate a shockingly futuristic edifice of balanced modernistic linear beauty. Juxtaposed in a very different way from the claustrophobic Victorian era from which they were barely emerging, the senses of the public must have been awestruck.

A very special chair:

In catapulting its ancient and regal design right into the present time and beyond, with great flair and brilliance, the designers enjoyed instant acclaim. the Chair was shown off perfectly in the environment of Mies's Pavilion. It was immediately recognized for its great style by highly influential, educated and cultured exhibition visitors. Royal visitors, it is said, did not actually take advantage of this newly designed seating accommodation, but the chair quickly attained the reputation of being "a design worthy of kings".

Materials and manufacture:

Predating the advent of stainless steel and seamless ground welding, the frame was designed to be bolted together. It was then re-designed by Mies in 1950, using the newly developed stainless steel, and allowing the frame to be formed by a seamless piece of metal giving it the smooth lines we know and see today. Bovine leather has replaced the more expensive ivory colored pigskin which was used for the original pieces. Three years later, (and six years after Lilly's death), the design went into commercial production and Mies licensed the rights of reproduction to Knoll who are the current licensed manufacturer of the Barcelona Chair and also own the trade mark.

Philosophy and economics:

Although many architects and furniture designers of the Bauhaus era, were intent on providing well designed homes and impeccably manufactured furnishings for the 'common man', (and Mies was very much in agreement with this philosophy), it was and still is not possible to do this in the case of the Barcelona Chair as the materials and labor are too expensive. Its tufted and buttoned, supple high quality leather cushions are hand sewn and individually stitched and piped require twenty eight hours of highly skilled labor to produce.

The timeless, iconic Chair has never ceased to be in production and has always been a 'must have' for both wealthy aficionados as well as architects and designers. Ottomans, loveseats, sofas, daybeds and benches, even inspirational versions of the chair, loveseat and sofa with arms have been added to the 'range'.

Although the original rights of reproduction were purchased by Knoll, unaffiliated reproductions of the Barcelona Chair are today manufactured by a vast and diverse group of manufacturers, each varying considerably in their price, quality and even specifics of the design.