Knoll

The MR Collection represents some of the earliest steel furniture designs by Mies van der Rohe. The frame material was inspired by fellow Bauhaus master Marcel Breuer, while the form is thought to be a modern derivative of 19th century iron rocking chairs.

Product story

The origins of the bent-steel cantilevered chair are somewhat murky, but generally three names come up in the discussion. Marcel Breuer is widely credited with pioneering the exploration of the material, Mart Stam seems to be the first to conceive a “chair without back legs”, and Mies van der Rohe is remembered as the one who made it beautiful.

It is believed that Mart Stam described his idea—a continuous loop of steel (he used a thinner gauge gas pipe in the earliest versions) with a cantilevered seat—at a meeting of the Werkbund in 1926. In attendance were Marcel Breuer and Mies van der Rohe, both of whom were inspired to design cantilever chairs of their own in the coming months. Mies replaced the right angles on the front legs with a graceful curve which had the advantage of increasing elasticity while preventing material fatigue.

Over the next five years, Mies would develop an entire series of tubular steel designs now presented by Knoll as the MR Collection.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of architecture, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe brought a less-is-more approach to everything he designed, from furniture to skyscrapers. “Architecture is a language,” wrote Mies van der Rohe. “When you are very good you can be a poet.”

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Additional Info

Construction and Details

Seat: Handwoven natural rattan protected with a clear lacquer finish, or heavyweight, full-grain belting leather with a supportive feel
Frame: Seamless 1" diameter tubular steel with polished chrome or ultra-matte powder-coated finish
The 2024 introductions of ultra-matte dark red, onyx, and white reframe the iconic form of this Bauhaus-era chair 
Rattan should be treated every three months with water and glycerin to prevent drying
Four plastic glides with twin pin snap-in construction to protect floors 
An original Ludwig Mies van der Rohe design, the frame is stamped with the Knoll logo and designer’s signature, ensuring lifetime authentication.