On Tubular Steel 

The emergence of tubular steel as a material for furniture in the early 20th century was closely tied to the radical design and architectural experiments of the Bauhaus school in Germany. Founded in 1919, the Bauhaus sought to unify art, craft, and technology, emphasizing functional, industrially reproducible design. It was within this environment that tubular steel found its first significant role in modern furniture.


Among the pioneers of this approach was Marcel Breuer. Inspired by the structure of bicycle handlebars and tubular steel framing, Breuer developed chairs that were light in appearance yet structurally innovative. His designs, such as the B3 (later known as the Wassily Chair, 1925) and the B5 (1926), exemplify this new approach by removing unnecessary bulk and focusing on the cantilever principle, where the chair’s support relied on the bending properties of steel tubing rather than traditional four-legged construction. This was a radical shift, emphasizing functionality, minimal material use, and a clear expression of structure.


Breuer’s Cesca Chair (1928) further refined this language by integrating traditional cane seating with the tubular steel frame, thereby bridging the modern and the traditional. At the same time, German architects and designers like Hans and Wassili Luckhardt were exploring similar structural principles, pushing the cantilever concept into more expressive and architectural forms, where curves replaced strict right angles and the frame became a sculptural presence in space.


This typology did not remain confined to Germany. Across Europe, designers explored variations of the steel tube and suspended surface combination. In Denmark, Poul Kjærholm developed his own interpretation during the 1950s and ’60s, notably with the PK25 (1951) and PK13 chairs. Kjærholm’s work is characterized by an elegant reduction, using flat steel strips and cord or leather to emphasize transparency and spatial lightness. Similarly, Brazilian architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha’s Paulistano Chair (1957) used a continuous steel rod frame with a mesh or leather seat, creating a chair that was structurally simple yet visually dynamic, embodying modernist principles adapted to a local context.


Softness and comfort were also addressed within this typology, moving beyond the strict industrial aesthetic of early tubular steel chairs. Pierre Paulin’s Easy Chair AP-14 (1954) combined the steel frame with upholstered forms that offered a more inviting and ergonomic seating experience. Christophe Gevers’ TBA Chair similarly blends structural clarity with comfort, continuing the dialogue between frame and surface established decades earlier by Breuer.


Hans J. Wegner, known primarily for his wood furniture, also explored the possibilities of steel framing within his practice. His Flag Halyard Chair (1950) combines a steel frame with a suspended rope seat, integrating the tubular steel principles into his pursuit of comfort and craftsmanship. This piece stands as an important link between the industrial aesthetic of tubular steel and a more tactile, handmade sensibility.


Later interpretations pushed the boundaries of the typology. Angelo Mangiarotti’s Tensio Chair (1989) uses leather suspended between curved steel elements, creating a sense of floating tension and emphasizing the relationship between frame and fabric. Jacques-Henri Varichon’s Galaxie Chair (1969) took the steel tube aesthetic into a more futuristic realm, encasing the sitter in a chrome frame reminiscent of automotive design.



What unites these diverse examples is a shared design language centered on steel as structural line and fabric or leather as tensioned surface. The typology’s significance lies not only in its formal qualities but also in its exploration of material efficiency and spatial economy. These chairs exemplify a modernist approach where every element is essential, visible, and functional—highlighting an architectural understanding of furniture as an extension of spatial and structural principles.