Brno Flat Bar Armchair

BRNO FLAT BAR ARMCHAIR BY KNOLL

DESIGNED BY  |  Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 1930

Designed by Mies van der Rohe for his renowned Tugendhat House in Brno, Czech Republic, the chair reflects the groundbreaking simplicity of its original environment. The design is celebrated for its lean profile, clean lines and meticulous attention to detail.
In 2018 Knoll introduced an antique bronze plated finish to celebrate the company's 80th anniversary.

DIMENSION  |   W580 x D590 x H790 x SH460mm

DESIGN STORY

The Tugendhat House, often considered to be Mies van der Rohe’s defining residential work, is the summation of his ideas incorporated at every level of the design. Architectural historian Peter Blake explains in his book Master Builders: “As in every one of his designs, from skyscrapers to dining chairs, Mies reduces each object to its essential elements, and then refined each detail to a point of almost breathtaking beauty and eloquence. There was nothing in this house that did not reflect this process of distillation to the point of utter perfection — not a window mullion, not a heating pipe, not a lighting fixture, not an ashtray.”

While there were 24 Tubular Brno Chairs in the Tugendhat House, there was only one Flat Bar Brno chair in master bedroom and, unlike the tubular version, the design was not subsequently put into production. In 1958 Phillip Johnson requested that Knoll produce the flat bar Brno Chair for use in his design of the Four Seasons restaurant. After making a few slight adjustments, including added cushioning — all with the approval of Mies — Knoll reintroduced the chair in 1958 and continues to produce each chair to Mies’ exacting standards, thanks to a collaboration with the Mies van der Rohe Archives at The Museum of Modern Art, New York.

FRAME  |  Frame is steel. Seat has an inner hardwood frame cushioned with variable density foam. Dymetrol seat suspension enhances comfort level

FINISH  |  Polished chrome or antique bronze plating

DETAIL  |  Clean, seamless joints and hidden drilled or countersunk holes (as opposed to punched) render the chair free of deformation

Brand: Knoll

Designers: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe