I’ve been reminded recently of the Barcelona chair, a classic furniture piece designed by German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The elegant, armless leather and steel chair is one of the most recognized pieces of furniture of the past hundred years. A new neighbor commented that she’d inherited a couple of Barcelona chairs and was wondering if I’d heard of them. Small world…
One of my first design projects in college was a study of Mies van der Rohe’s work. My research focused on his Villa Tugendhat in Brno, Czech Republic, which is one of his better known residential design accomplishments and which is fortunately still standing today as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Barcelona chair, designed by Mies in collaboration with Lilly Reich, was an integral feature of the Villa Tugendhat, in addition to other furniture pieces designed by the duo. First designed in 1929, the Barcelona chair is still in production today. It is an iconic chair admired for its simplicity and clean lines, and was honored with a Museum of Modern Art Award in 1977.
The Barcelona chair exemplifies much of Mies van der Rohe’s work and aesthetic philosophy of “less is more”, featuring clean lines, simple industrial materials, balance and symmetry. The Barcelona chair is an enduring design classic that is popular with architects and designers in both residential and commercial settings.