Friday, December 11, 2009

Design Friday: Barcelona Chair

Today I am highlighting one of my favorite chairs, the Barcelona Chair.


This beautiful, sleek, modern chair was designed in 1929 by famous Bauhaus architect, Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe. It was designed for the German pavilion at the International Exhibition in Barcelona. An inaugural ceremony took place for the German exhibits in which the king of Spain presided, and the chairs were custom made for the king and queen to sit in. Mies felt, "The chair had to be . . . monumental. In those circumstances, you just couldn't use a kitchen chair." This chair's lines and proportions quickly gained it recognition as epitomizing modern design.

I think this chair is another example of the versatility of modern design. It is as comfortable in a modern setting, as it would be in a room with neoclassical (a revival of classic, aka: Greek) elements. I love the simplicity of its lines but that it is simultaneously luxurious, as well as its use of negative space.

Resources:
(Pictures from knoll.com)
- knoll.com/products/product.jsp?prod_id=71
- dwr.com/product/barcelona-chair.do?keyword=mies&sortby=ourPicks
- moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=4369

1 comment:

  1. Hello, How do I get in touch with you? There is no email or contact info listed .. please advise .. thanks .. Mary. Please contact me maryregency at gmail dot com

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