Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe, MR10 chairs

LUDWIG MIES VAN DER ROHE (Germany, 1886 - USA, 1969).
Four MR10 chairs, design 1927.
Rattan and chrome frame.

Mies van der Rohe's MR10 chairs are an icon of modern design characterized by their cantilevered (cantilever) structure, i.e., without back legs, consisting of a single curved steel tube that creates a continuous line and gives the impression that the chair "floats" in the air; this frame, usually of chromed or nickel-plated tubular steel, supports a lightweight seat and backrest that provide flexibility and comfort. Its design eliminates the traditional four-legged structure and uses the strength of metal to balance the weight, becoming a fundamental technical and aesthetic innovation of the modern movement and the Bauhaus spirit, where simplicity, functionality and economy of means are paramount.

Architect and industrial designer, Mies van der Rohe trained with Bruno Paul and Peter Behrens, and opened his own studio in Berlin in 1912. Between 1930 and 1933 he directed the Bauhaus in Dessau, although the political situation in Germany soon after forced him to emigrate to the United States. There he continued his brilliant career, teaching at the Illinois Technology Institute in Chicago. During his career he designed emblematic buildings mainly in Germany and the United States, especially his skyscrapers in New York and Chicago, the German Pavilion for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition, and the NeueNationalgalerie in Berlin.