Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Chair
A stunning masterpiece whose proportions can be exactly described through three-dimensional relationships created with circles, squares, and the golden section.
Barcelona Chair, Mies van der Rohe, 1929
Side view of the chair featuring a welded flat-bar steel frame and leather upholstery.
From Geometry of Design, Princeton Architectural Press
Barcelona Chair Side View
The side view of the Barcelona Chair can be enclosed in a square and the side of the square is the key to the chair's proportions.
Barcelona Chair Back
The large curve of the chair back is made by a circle arc. The circle arc has a radius of the side of the square that encloses the side view of the chair.
Barcelona Chair Seat Support
The circle arc of the front seat support can be described by a circle arc. Similar to the chair back the circle arc has a radius of the side of the square that encloses the side view of the chair.
Barcelona Back Leg Support
The smaller curve of the chair back leg support is made by a circle arc. The circle arc has a radius of one half of the side of the square that encloses the side view of the chair.
All Barcelona Chair Circle Arcs
The two large circles have the same radius as the side of the square. The small circle arc has a radius of one half the side of the square. The squares and circles are all in proportion to each other which yields particularly harmonious proportions.
