Barcelona Chair Featured in Reclaim Magazine

Part of a regular series on iconic pieces of furniture and industrial design, the November/December edition of Reclaim Magazine delved into the history and significance of the Barcelona Chair, which was designed by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1929 and is manufactured exclusively by Knoll.

Loma-Ann Marks, an editor at Reclaim, recalls the first time she encountered the famous chair in the reception area of an advertising agency. "The chairs I faced with, in black, were more intimidating than the receptionist," she writes. "For the Barcelona isn't just a chair, it's perfection."

The profile cites the "less is more" philosophy of Mies van der Rohe and stringent manufacturing considerations as its defining principles. "Made from top quality leather and steel," Marks writes, "it's as much about the space, even the person and atmosphere, on and around it as the chair itself." To spot an authentic Barcelona chair, the profile advises readers to look for the KnollStudio logo and Mies van der Rohe's signature stamped into the hand-buffed frame.

Reclaim is an interiors magazine with a focus on the upcycling and vintage movement in Britain. Chronicling the best of salvage fairs, reclamation yards, and design classics, the periodical presents antique decoration and sustainability not as passing trends, but as ways of life.