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The C
Curved cantilever
The steel drops from the seat, turns in a tight curve and returns along the floor. That C is leg, spring and base at once.
Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich, 1929–30
Chapter I. Origin
Chapter II. Anatomy
01 / 04
Curved cantilever
The steel drops from the seat, turns in a tight curve and returns along the floor. That C is leg, spring and base at once.
Chapter III. Exploded view
Without the upholstery, a single line of steel remains, folding back on itself. Comfort is an addition; the chair is a gesture.
A
Line
Bent steel
B
Planes
Upholstered seat and back
Chapter IV. Matter and light
The same structure changes character with its materials and the light in the room.
Chapter V. Context
1928
Grete and Fritz Tugendhat commission Mies to build a house in Brno, in what was then Czechoslovakia.
1930
The house is completed with furniture by Mies and Lilly Reich, including the dining chair.
1938
Facing the Nazi threat, the family leaves the house and the country.
1960
The chair goes into production and takes the name of the city where it was born.
2001
UNESCO declares Villa Tugendhat a World Heritage Site.
Chapter VI. Closing
Born for a dining room, it ended up in every meeting room.
Objects of the Century, Brno
000
Preparing the room