Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
MR20 Lounge Chair
Replica
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
1927
At the 1927 exhibition, Die Wohnung (the Dwelling), Mies van der Rohe was inspired by Mart Stam’s “S33” chair. Van der Rohe immediately saw the potential of Stam’s cantilevered chair design and by the time of the exhibition had come up with his own version in the MR10 chair (the MR20’s predecessor). Where Stam’s square cantilevered design was rigid and heavy in construction, Van der Rohe’s MR10 chair was lighter and had a springy resilience aided by the graceful curve of its rounded legs. The apparent simplicity of the MR20 lounge chair makes the frame, when considered without the armrests, appear as a single, continuous piece of tubular steel. Van der Rohe added arms and a simple cuff joint to create the MR20 and it met with critical success. The rounded lines are visually appealing and between the minimalist steel frame and the plush padded leather seat, it is a beautiful example of classic Bauhaus design.
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“Less is more.”
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was one of the first designers to make use of tubular steel in his furniture. He was inspired by the tubular iron rocking chairs that were manufactured in the mid-nineteenth century. He used this new material and the then-new principle of cantilever chairs to create this classic lounge chair.
Mies’s furniture and designs, including the MR20, has been exhibited at New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
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Extremely Comfortable
Nine plump, individual cushions are generously filled with Dacron foam to make for an exceptionally comfortable seat. Leather straps beneath the cushioning conform to the individual whilst the frame gives way slightly under the weight of the individual.
Quality and Craftsmanship
Nine Dacron foam cushions are quilted together with the finest quality top grain Italian leather. Supple Italian leather straps are attached to the quilted cushions and to the chromed tubular steel frame.
Mies van der Rohe was born in the industrial city of Aachen, Germany in 1886. Incredibly he was never formally trained in architecture, but gained a practical education through working with his stonecutter father and taking up apprenticeships with architectural firms from the age of 15. In 1905 he started working for architect and furniture designer Bruno Paul in Berlin, and a short two years later he won his first independent commission to design the Riehl House in Potsdam. He went from strength to strength, and was later a key figure in the Bauhaus movement and its final director, until its closure in 1933. In 1937 he emigrated to the USA and produced many architectural icons over the remaining 31 years of his working life.
“Architecture is a language, when you are very good you can be a poet.”
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Product Literature
A tubular frame is bent, cut and polished to a gleaming, seamless finish. Leather straps, coordinated in color to the leather upholstery, is attached to the frame and the quilted cushioning. The nine plush Dacron cushions are upholstered in the finest Italian leather. Our reproduction of the MR 20 stays faithful to the original design.
Product Materials
Frame: Tubular Stainless Steel
Upholstery: Top grain Italian leather
Cushioning: Dacron foam
Product Dimensions
Height: 79cm
Width: 53cm
Depth: 83cm
Seat height: 44cm
Arm height: 68cm
Carrying weight: 120kg
Weight as shipped: 14.5kg
Care Instructions
Leather: Occasionally remove dust from the leather with a damp, lint-free cloth. Small soiled spots can be gently removed with a colourless eraser. Liquid spills should be immediately dabbed dry and wiped off with a little water. Once a year, the leather should be treated with a special leather care product, but never with any type of strong cleansing agent. Only use quality leather products which do not leave residue. Oily build-up on the leather makes it susceptible to bacteria, which can destroy the leather. Clean the stitching with a soft-bristle brush.
Make sure that your leather furniture is not positioned close to heat sources, so that it does not dry out and become brittle. In addition, we recommend that leather surfaces are not permanently exposed to intense sunlight, because direct sunlight over an extended time period can diminish the quality of the leather.
Leather can be treated occasionally with conditioners to keep it in its original state. Liquid spills should be blotted up immediately, not wiped. For daily cleaning, dust leather with a soft cloth.
Metal: Do not use an abrasive material on the metal. Clean the item with a mild detergent and water. Dilute in the mild detergent in water so it is not too harsh on the metal. You can dip a soft-bristled toothbrush in the solution or a non-abrasive pad and use it to scrub off any residue or dirt on the item. Scrub the item with a soft toothbrush or a non-abrasive pad. Dry any residual moisture with a soft, dry cloth.