Did you know that the iconic Barcelona chair was first designed for Spanish royalty? Here, we explore the history and appeal of the timeless chair design
Exuding elegance with its refined proportions and iconic structure, Knoll’s Barcelona chair needs little introduction. It’s a movie star in its own right, having appeared in multiple Hollywood films such as Iron Man 2, American Psycho and James Bond’s Casino Royale, acting as a shorthand for the refined taste and status of the protagonists.
You can also see it appearing in Harvey Specter’s (Gabriel Macht) office in Suits, as well as the living room belonging to a world-weary billionaire Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
See also: Design Icon: The Flos Floor Lamp Seen in Iron Man, Crazy Stupid Love And More Movies
The Barcelona chair is often seen as an icon of the modern design movement. It is an exemplar of exceptional craftsmanship. Produced from a single cowhide, the seats are upholstered with 40 individual panels that are meticulously hand-welted and hand-tufted with leather buttons.
The plush seats sit on a steely frame created from polished chrome that has been grounded and buffed by hand to a shiny, mirror-like finish. Inspired by the ancient curule chairs in Rome, the legs of the chair cross under the back of the seat and come together in a curved X-shaped structure that’s distinctive to the Barcelona chair. Uniquely, the axis is crafted to the side and not in the middle; this creates a cantilevered design that the chair is known for.