Armchair Inspired by Tugendhat Design

Tugendhat Armchair by Mies Van der Rohe for Knoll.

The Tugendhat Armchair was designed by Mies van der Rohe in 1929 for the Tugendhat House in Brno, Czech Republic. Originally named “Federsessel” in German, which means “spring chair”, it became known as the Tugendhat due to the widespread reporting on the villa. 

The design was born from van der Rohe’s desire to create a cair which married the comfort of an upholstered lounge chair with the strength of a tubular steel cantilever base. 

The Tugendhat was introduced to the market shortly after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and received little commercial success as it was deemed too costly to mass-produce. It debuted around the same time as the iconic Barcelona chair, and despite receiving higher acclaim, the Tugendhat was Mies’ favourite of the two.

The chair was re-launched by Knoll at the Salone del Mobile 2024 and is available with a variety of upholstery options, featuring un-tufted cushions, optional armrests, and a cantilevered base with a leather strap back for high comfort levels.