Barcelona Chair

Few objects represent as much. The Barcelona Chair, so named for the Barcelona Exposition where it was designed as a seat for the Spanish King, is a culmination of Bauhaus thought, of Mies van der Rohe’s maxim of ‘Less is More’. It is testament to artisan as artistry, to the collapsing of art practice under a single title of craftsmanship, yet its luxury is an exception to Bauhaus’ commitment to accessibility. It is a literal throne of modernism, taking inspiration from folding chairs of the ancient Romans and 19th Century Neoclassical seating – 2000 years of design were required to create such a work of staggering simplicity. When perhaps no object has had as many permutations, The Barcelona Chair is as close to a Platonic Ideal as exists.