Barcelona Chair – An icon of modern design
The Barcelona Chair, designed in 1929 by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich, is one of the most important classics in design history. It was originally created for the German pavilion at the world exhibition in Barcelona.
Mies van der Rohe translated an antique form into a modern aesthetic made of chrome-plated flat steel and handcrafted leather. The result is a piece of furniture of simple elegance and formal clarity.
The armchair perfectly embodies Mies’ philosophy of minimalist design:
“Less is more.”


“Architecture begins when two bricks are carefully put together.”
This attitude is also evident in the Barcelona Chair – every detail has been thought through, nothing is superfluous.
Today, the armchair is produced by Knoll International and is regarded worldwide as a symbol of modern design and the Bauhaus legacy. Timeless, elegant, functional – a masterpiece of the 20th century.
At Mathes Interior you will find the Barcelona Chair as well as numerous other classics of modern design.