Harry Bertoia – Diamond armchairs and Knoll wire furniture

Harry Bertoia Furniture – Diamond chairs, wire armchairs and Knoll design
A major 20th-century Italian-American designer, sculptor, and artist of the 1950s and 1960s, Harry Bertoia is primarily known for his famous wire chairs produced by Knoll. His welded steel creations, with their graphic and airy lines, are now among the most iconic pieces of American modernist furniture.

The Bertoia collection includes several models that have become 20th-century design icons, including Wire chairs, Bird Chairs, Diamond armchairs, lounge chairs, and chrome-plated steel seats sometimes paired with fabric or leather cushions. Their lightweight structure of welded metal rods creates a characteristic play of transparency, allowing Bertoia armchairs and chairs to maintain a sculptural presence without weighing down the space.

Produced by Knoll International starting in the early 1950s, Harry Bertoia’s models quickly achieved international success and fit perfectly into contemporary or classic dining rooms, offices, reception areas, restaurants, or contemporary interiors. Early original versions maintain a particularly sought-after manufacturing quality, especially regarding the welds, chrome plating, and general proportions.

Harry Bertoia’s work is distinguished by a very free approach to metal, inherited from his sculpture practice. Unlike other designers more focused on cabinetmaking or solid volumes, Bertoia developed furniture based on line, void, and light. This wire aesthetic helps make his armchairs and chairs immediately recognizable pieces in the world of vintage furniture and American design.

His work naturally dialogues with that of other designers published by Knoll, such as Eero Saarinen, Florence Knoll, or Mies van der Rohe, who are also represented in our selection of 20th-century modernist furniture.