Conchoidal Chair with Arms (Elevation sketches)
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
American, born Germany. 1886–1969
early 1940s
An ink-on-paper study by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe that records four quick elevation ideas for a 'Conchoidal Chair with Arms,' testing how a continuous, shell-like seat and armrest could define a modern, comfortable chair.
You first notice the energetic, looping pen strokes and rhythmic hatching that render four pared-down profile studies—each poised on a spare baseline so the chair reads as both a flowing organic shell and a structural object.
This working drawing reveals how Mies translated architectural principles of structural clarity and reductive form into furniture, shaping midcentury modern design and demonstrating the architect’s hands-on role in designing everyday objects.
Medium
Ink on paper
Dimensions
6 x 8 1/4" (15.2 x 21 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Mies van der Rohe Archive, gift of the architect
Accession
1153.1974
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
