The Barcelona Chair
| Designer | Lilly Reich and Mies van der Rohe |
| Dates | 1929 |
Description
The Barcelona chair is a design icon of the 1920's. Born of the modernist movement it was designed by Mies van der Rohe - a famous Bauhaus architect - and his partner Lily Reich. It was designed for the Barcelona World Fair of 1929,
as part of the German Pavilion, a building that van der Rohe's also designed. The building was designed to house and show off the creative achievements of Germany and show the world that they were still a cultured and creative nation.
The chair itself was said to have been inspired by the campaign and folding chairs of the Pharaohs and the Romans. Looking at the shape of the
frame - particularly the legs - you can see that this looks to be true.
The Materials of the original chair actually predated the age of stainless steel and seamless welding, so the frame was designed to be bolted together. It was redesigned in 1950 by van der Rohe and this time stainless steel was used which allowed the frame to be formed from one seamless piece of metal.
When the chair was originally designed it was upholstered in very expensive ivory pigskin. However, once the chair went into commercial production after van der Rohes death, Knoll (who still are the current genuine manufacturer of the Barcelona Chair) changed the upholstery to Bovine leather. The chair is available in a range of colours; black, white, brown, red and the classic ivory.
Since the design and production of the original Barcelona Chair, many more have been added to this highly sort after range. These include ottomans, love seats, sofas, daybeds and benches, a real testament to the love the nation has for this
beautiful piece of modern design.
Dimensions The chair dimensions are 75x75x75cm and in true form of the modernist era, are the dimensions of the Golden Section.
The Cost. The original chair made for the Barcelona world fair, is probably priceless, but the chair produced by the original manufacturer Knoll, retails at approximately £3,500.00, depending on the spec. However, reproductions of this truly beautiful chair are manufactured all over the world under different names, and are as sort after today as they were when they were originally designed. The good news is that these icons of design are more affordable to the general population and retail at around £500.00. The bad news is, it could be argued that this mass reproduction of such a beautiful object, somehow tarnishes its unique beauty by its increased accessibility, however, thats an argument for another time. It also means that although these replicas may not be hand made and stitched, they do still look beautiful with their clean lines and exquisite shape
A Personal View
My first encounter with the Barcelona Chair, was on a visit to Barcelona, and the German Pavilion (Av. Marquès de Comillas, Montjuïc, Barcelona). It was love at first sight. The clean lines and simplicity of the design made me fall in love with its aesthetic beauty. Unfortunately the chairs (of which there were two, and an ottoman) were part of the exhibit, and thus we were unable to sit on them and had to content ourselves with admiring them from a distance.
The moral of this story is 'All good things come to those who wait'. In a few months time I will be moving into a new flat with my partner. He like me, loves this style of design, and thus we've been actively seeking the perfect chair. Therefore I hope that one day soon we'll be the proud owners of a Mies Van der Rohe Barcelona Chair - or at least one inspired by him...
Context
The general philosophy of the modernist movement - aided by the industrial revolution - led designers and artists working from a socialist perspective, to view this as a time to create a greater equality. They hoped this would create a new environment - clean, healthy, light and full of fresh air which would transform daily life. In the 1920s, modernism, which had been such a minority taste before the First World War, came to define the age. By the early 1930s modernism had extended its reach far beyond an elite audience. It was becoming part of everyday life and its influences can be seen all around us today.
Above from left to right; The Lobster Chair (2007), The Chloe Chair (2007), and the ball chair (1962)
Although the above chairs were designed relatively recently, the influence of the Modernist style can be seen in all of them. To me these are all aesthetically beautiful and pleasing to the eye, and I would dearly love to own any one of them.
The Lobster Chair is designed by Lund and Paarmann. Its moulded in beech with a walnut veneer outside. The upholstery is leather, woolen fabric or suede. It has a swivel-base in chromium-plated steel. The chairs are so new they are not yet in main stream production...watch this space!
Chloe Chair This chair was designed to look like a section of a coconut shell. The chloe chair is made of moulded plastic, layered with a single piece of foam and covered in a supple, upholstered fabric cushion, and is also available in leather. Available in a variety of colours and retails at around £375.00. Designer unknown.
Ball Chair This chair is actually a Hollywood star in its own right. Its appeared in Sleepless in Seattle and Men in Black. The Ball Chair was the brain child of designer Eero Aarnie in 1963. Known as 'a room within a room' - a chair for privacy and curling up with a good book. It spins on a 360 degrees axis, and the fiberglass shell lets you 'orbit the entire room during a party'. For an original 1960's design, this chair will set you back around £3,650.00 and will take 6-8 weeks from order. If you are not so fussy you can pick up a reproduction for around £526.00. The dimensions for this chair are H120 x W98 X D105 cm.
Each of these chairs I feel have earned their place in my hall of fame for beautifully designed modern furniture.
Links
www.kmadcorp.com - Modern furniture design
www.modernfurnitureclassics.com - Modern classic furniture
www.strictlydesign.dk - Modern furniture design - The Lobster Chair
www.designspotter.com/weblog/archives/furniture/index.php/ - Modern design showcase
www.barcelonachair.com - History of the Barcelona Chair
| Author: | Elizabeth Peck | Date: | March 2008 |