The Barcelona chair is a chair designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich. It was originally designed for the German Pavilion, that country's entry for the International Exposition of 1929, which was hosted by Barcelona, Spain.
The frame of the Barcelona chair was initially designed to be bolted together, but was redesigned in 1950 using stainless steel, which allowed the frame to be formed by a seamless piece of metal, giving it a smoother appearance. Bovine leather replaced the ivory-colored pigskin which was used for the original pieces.
The functional design and elements of the Barcelona chair that were patented by Mies in Germany, Spain and the United States in the 1930s have since expired. The Barcelona chair was manufactured in the US and Europe in limited production from the 1930s to the 1950s. In 1953, six years after Reich's death, van der Rohe ceded his rights and his name on the design to Knoll, knowing that his design patents were expired. This collaboration then renewed popularity in the design.
Since 1953 Knoll Inc has manufactured the Barcelona chair. They make the frame in two different steel configurations, chrome and stainless. The chair is almost completely hand-laboured, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's signature is stamped into each chair. Reproductions proliferate worldwide and are sold under different marketing names.
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