Barcelona Stool, Volo, Cadet

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed the Barcelona stool, as with the Barcelona Chair, for the opening of the German Pavilion at the World Expo 1929 in Barcelona. That the objects were intended for the exclusive use of the Spanish royal couple, Mies van der Rohe accordingly took his inspiration from the classic scissors chairs of the Roman Empire and created a design which combines an x-shaped, highly refined base with a compact seat. Characteristic of both Knoll's Barcelona Chair and Barcelona Stool is the luxuriously light more modern aesthetic created through the contrast between the reduced steel frame and the opulent leather upholstery. The American furniture manufacturer Knoll International has produced the Mies van der Rohe Barcelona Stool since 1953 - by hand and according to the strict specifications of the designer. The frame consists of high-gloss, chrome plated spring steel, the cushion is hand crafted from foam and 40 pieces of leather, all derived from a single animal skin and completed by the addition of leather buttons.