Pair of vintage 'barcelona' armchairs with ottoman by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for Knoll International

This chair (model 250L) was designed by Mies van der Rohe in collaboration with the interior designer Lilly Reich for the German pavilion at the 1929 World's Fair in Barcelona. This chair was also available with an ottoman, as is the case here, in the same design and materials as the chair itself. The chair clearly bears the designer's mark: honest, functional, elegant and unadorned; his adage "less is more". He was inspired by the folding chairs of ancient Rome to create the typical cross-shaped frame. A lot of handwork goes into the production. The elegant chrome frame is polished by hand. The 40 individual panels of the chair are hand-cut on a template and sewn with leather and buttons from a single cowhide. The World's Fair featured two sets, both in white goatskin at the time. Later on, several colors were of course available. Subsequently, this luxurious radiant chair found its place in office buildings as well as in very luxurious homes. The official production is done under license of Knoll International since 1948. In 1952, the company De Coene from Kortrijk obtained the license for the Benelux to produce the chair for Knoll. The leather handbag manufacturer Delvaux made the cushions by hand. The production of the chair is quite expensive, as it requires many hours of manual labor. This set of 2 Barcelona chairs from the 1960s includes a beautiful ottoman and is original to Knoll. The set is in good condition, consistent with age and use. Reference : 274944