The Barcelona chair is an exception: designed for the Spanish Royalty to oversee the opening ceremonies of the exhibition and…
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‧‧‧ One of 273The Barcelona chair is an exception: designed for the Spanish Royalty to oversee the opening ceremonies of the exhibition and was described by Time magazine as inhabiting his sumptuous German pavilion.
The form is thought to be extrapolated from Roman folding chairs known as the Curule chair – upholstered stools used by Roman aristocracy.
Its particular value lies in the application of innovative spatial and aesthetic concepts that aim to satisfy new lifestyle needs by taking advantage of the opportunities afforded by modern industrial production.
The frame was initially designed to be bolted together but was redesigned in 1950 using stainless steel, which allowed the frame to be formed by a seamless piece of metal, giving it a smoother appearance. Bovine leather replaced the ivory-colored pigskin which was used for the original pieces.
In typically Scandinavian fashion, most of Kjærholm’s contemporaries opted for wood as their primary furniture construction material. Kjærholm chose steel…
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