The Barcelona Chair is undoubtedly one of the symbols of modernism in the 20th century and will set a new standard in furniture design for decades to come. Its design embodies the two famous credos of its creator: “Less is more” and “God is in the details”.
The design has been reduced to the essentials, which makes the shape of the chair very minimalist and puristic. The chair consists of three main components: a stainless steel frame and two tufted leather cushions. The frame consists of two x-shaped sections that serve as chair legs and cushion pads. Its unique X-shape is achieved through the use of bent steel strips welded at the intersection. The welds are ground and polished, giving the frame a smoother appearance and looking like a single, seamless piece of metal. The cushions are made of cowhide. After being cut into square sections, the leather is tufted and framed into rectangular cushions and placed on strips of leather that are riveted to the frame of the chair. The overall look of the chair is extremely appealing and stylish. It’s very proportionate and balanced, and the use of the frame makes it feel both airy and light. In contrast to fully upholstered furniture, it does not block the room in which it is placed, but rather improves the sense of space. Even today, almost nine decades after its presentation, when modernity is no longer an extravagant or radical concept, the Barcelona chair has neither aged nor become banal. It still looks fresh and contemporary.
The Barcelona Collection
1929 German Pavilion at the World Exhibition in Barcelona. The futuristic edifice of glass, steel and marble that soon became the benchmark of modern architecture was where King Alfonso XIII of Spain lived. The German part of the exhibition was opened. The pavilion contained two exceptional chairs and a pair of matching ottomans – together they formed the basis of Barcelona’s famous furniture collection.
Story
The design of the Barcelona collection, as well as the pavilion itself, was created by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe – the legendary modernist and an icon of 20th-century architecture and design, who abandoned the idea of decorative, bourgeois forms in favor of elegance and simplicity.
The origins of furniture design can be traced back to the beginning of modernism. Bucking the historical trend of incorporating the past into furniture design, this era was characterized by the idea of creating timeless, universal objects that would stand the test of time. This belief led to simpler, cleaner designs that were less likely to become obsolete. The concept of simplified design was later developed by the Bauhaus, with which Mies van der Rohe was closely associated. The main principle of the Bauhaus was to make everyday mass products beautiful yet practical, while still making them accessible to the common man. The idea of making very simple and fully functional, yet elegant and stylish objects was present from the very beginning when designing the Barcelona collection furniture. In fact, not only was such furniture on display, but the two chairs were also designed to provide comfortable seating for the King and Queen of Spain during the opening ceremony of the exhibition.
