If you consider yourself a modern furniture collector, chances are that you own a Mies van der Rohe Barcelona Chair. If not, then you should definitely have one. Part of the prestigious Barcelona collection which also includes the Barcelona Ottoman and Table, the Barcelona Chair is considered to be Ludiwg Mies van der Rohes finest work in furniture design and a classic example of the modernist furniture style.

Similar to his Tugendhat and Brno Chair, the Barcelona Chair was made by Mies van der Rohe as part of the interior furnishings for his architectural project, namely the Pabelln Alemn or German Pavilion, in 1929. The chair, as well as the Pavilion itself, were Germanys official entry to the prestigious 1929 Ibero-American Exposition in Barcelona, Spain and meant to symbolize Germanys cultural resuscitation after World War I. During this period, Mies van der Rohe collaborated frequently with designer and longtime companion Lilly Reich.

The inspiration of the Barcelona Chair was that of the Egyptian folding chairs and the campaign chairs of the classical Roman period. The chair was also said to complement the sculptures of George Kolbe, which were also on display during the Expo. During its display the Barcelona Chairs enjoyed instant acclaim, with critics calling it a design worthy of king. Coincidentally, the Chair was also priced at a kingly sum of $6,281, a contrast to the furnishings for the common man philosophy of Bahaus school which Mies van der Rohe was part of.

Today, re-editions of Mies van der Rohes Barcelona Chair are manufactured by Knoll of Pennsylvania, USA. Knoll acquired the rights and Mies van der Rohes name to the chair in 1953 as well as its trade dress rights in 2004, making it the sole recognized manufacturer of authentic Barcelona Chair reproductions. However, several third-party manufacturers such as Alphaville Design California and Gordon International New York also produce chairs based on the Barcelona Chair design.