…To make a magnificent style statement.

Although this piece wasn’t part of Mies van der Rohe’s design for the World Arts Fair back in 1929, it does feature that unmistakable square panelled Italian leather upholstery, which makes such an instant impact.

The Barcelona day bed was, in fact, designed for the New York apartment of Philip Johnson, first director of the Museum of Modern Art, and it has gone on to grace some of the most stylish interiors in the world ever since.

As ever, the delight is in the detail:  each piece of the leather upholstery is perfectly welded together by hand; the frame itself is hand buffed. This all adds up to a beautiful, sophisticated piece of craftsmanship; a priceless centrepiece for any home or office.

…It’s the perfect, elegant dining or meeting chair.
Another classic design from Mies van der Rohe, this chair looks to almost defy gravity, with its leather upholstered cushion floating between a fluidly bent tubular steel frame. Designed in the Thirties, it looks just as contemporary as it did back then. And it’s built to last: the padded seat is upholstered in supple full grain Spinneybeck leather, which retains its smooth, strong appearance, while the frame has been treated with a lengthy triple-plate chroming process to create a rust-free mirror quality finish. A heritage chair that works in any environment.

…It’s a true piece of design history.

Frequently used in the movies and advertisements, nothing says timeless style more than this one piece of furniture.
Hardly surprising, then, that it was originally designed for Royalty. Its creator, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, was an architect progressing into the world of furniture. When he was commissioned to design the German Pavilion as part of the World Arts Fair in Barcelona in 1929, he didn’t just plan the bricks and mortar. He also turned his attention to the furniture within it, and his design – a simple, streamlined shape holding luxuriously upholstered cushions – served as thrones for the visiting King and Queen of Spain.
Mies produced a re-design of the aptly-named Barcelona chair in 1950, so as to make use of the newly-available commodity stainless steel which allowed the frame to be made of one fluid piece of metal.
Today, the Barcelona is one of the most instantly-recognised iconic chairs in the world. So magnificent, it is as much a piece of sculpture as a functional piece of furniture. Spacecraft offer a huge selection of upholstery options. And as with all pieces in the Mies van der Rohe collection, the only authentic designs are produced through KnollStudio – you’ll find the company logo and designer’s signature stamped on the frame. Accept no imitations!

 Enter our exclusive LivingEtc Magazine competition to win a Knoll Barcelona Chair here.

Interested in buying the real deal?  Over 800 leather colours to choose from.  Contact Spacecraft, Europe's Number 1 KnolStudio dealer on 02072535800 or email info@spacecraftint.com