I say “Barcelona Chair” and you regurgitate “Mies Van Der Rohe” or “German Bauhaus”.
At the 1929 Barcelona Expo the Germans definitely stole the show with their sleek new modern look from the Bauhaus school. But lets walk over to the Scandinavian tent and see what they are showing. Indeed a more traditional styling and academic approach to furniture making, the Danes should not be overlooked at the Barcelona Expo. The Scandinavians come from long lineage of furniture making tradition and apply a knowledge which is grounded in a historical understanding of furniture making that dates back to the Greeks.
One of these Danish furniture designers debuting at the Barcelona Expo was Kaare Klint who was exhibiting his new side chair. Like Mies Van Der Rohe, Klint’s chair became known as the “Barcelona Chair”. A very different looking Barcelona Chair than the one you are familiar with but a very important contribution to the chair making tradition. Klint’s Barcelona chair was one of the catalysts which re-established the Scandinavians as forefront leaders in the furniture making industry.