Bridge For Design Spring 2014 Bridge For Design Spring 2014 Issue | Page 98

DESIGN TRENDS | view point

IS IT AN ICONIC DIVA?
Why is there such fascination with the classic Barcelona chair asks Rosa Otero

I

s there any other 20th-century chair that is as iconic as
the Barcelona? Designed in 1928 by German architect
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and interior designer
Lilly Reich, little did they know that by 2014, this
chair would have been showcased in so many movies and
television shows.
This chair has appeared in the popular teen show iCarly
and in movies such as American Psycho (2000), Casino
Royale (2006), Twilight (2008), and Iron Man 2 (2010). I am
convinced that this sleek and luxurious chair is a testament
to the timelessness of superior design in mass production.
The Barcelona is universally recognised as a design classic
by individuals of all ages and cultures.
So, why is there this fascination with a chair that was
designed for the German Pavilion at the Barcelona
International Exhibition for the King and Queen of Spain
almost 85 years ago?
More than a symbol of good design, I believe, this chair is
also associated with power and social status. Corporations
again and again have displayed a couple of Barcelona chairs
in their lobbies and reception areas to showcase their wealth
and stability.
The design of this chair is said to be derived from the
architect’s interpretation of an Egyptian royal folding chair
and a Roman folding footstool. Both the Egyptian and
Roman civilisations were powerful empires in history, and
any association with them carries connotations of similar
power and status.
As with most celebrities or, more specifically, divas, there
are some people who have not fallen under the spell of this
iconic chair.
Although it quickly achieved celebrity status because of
its regal origin and stylistic silhouette, many argue that this
chair and its design disregard the basic requirements—such as

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ergonomics and comfort—of the people who use the chair.
Because of this, not everyone can love this chair. The
unaired pilot of the Cartoon Network’s Regular Show
illustrates this point. In this episode, the chair is ridiculed
as the ‘world’s most uncomfortable chair,’ even though the
show’s characters think that it looks ‘awesome.’ Another
problematic issue is the chair’s expense. Although it was
intended for mass production, it is not accessible to the
masses. Between the materials and the labour, the chair costs
too much to produce and can run anywhere from hundreds
of dollars for a high quality replica to almost ten thousand
dollars for a licensed reproduction.
Despite differences in opinion with regard to the value
and comfort of this chair, the Barcelona, curiously, a chair
inspired by the chairs of antiquity, has come to represent
20th-century design and perhaps the whole modern
movement.
Have you ever had the pleasure, or perhaps misfortune,
of sitting in the Barcelona? If so, I invite you to share your
views. If not, I invite you to visit The SIDE Chair Library at
Salem College and experience it for yourself! B

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Dr. Rosa Otero is the director of interior design of the Art
Department at Salem College in Winston-Salem, US, where
she teaches courses in architecture, interiors, and the history
of design. She is the designer and curator of the Salem College
Chair Library, a one-of-a-kind facility that provides access to 20th
century furniture icons. Her article, and more, can be found on the
Bienenstock Furniture Library website : www.furniturelibrary.com