Tugendhat  

Which book is that? I'll...
Which book is that? I'll have to get a copy! I think (ie, I'm not sure) that flat bar metal is usually bent by passing it through rollers, depending on the thickness of the metal and the radius of the curve, this could require a lot of force. Did the book have any info on the dimensions of the steel used?

[PDF]
Tugendhat Villa in Brn...
[PDF]
Tugendhat Villa in Brno hit this in google and download the whole file from the houseplans, graphics,furniture designs, brno chair,recliner,tugendhat chair and table .
looks like Mies was really busy with this one client other than the Barcelona he hit a home run with all the furniture he designed for this family. at Villa Tugendhat

Hi HP
Could you check the measurements on those blueprints. The most reliable description of the original ones mention 28 1/2" (72 cm) as the width and the same source gives the height lower than the depth.
The early ones I have seen, without arm rests by the way, were bend on a pipe bender (the flat bar showed the typical deformation) whereas the large curves where rolled on a typical flat steel bending machine (three cylinders that are adjusted to produce the right curve.

front view

"Mies van der Rohe,...
"Mies van der Rohe, architecture and design in Stuttgart, Barcelona and Brno" published by skira. I think the steel is about 12mm x 42mm which is a standard size here, I'm not at home now but will measure the Brno this afternoon.

Mmmmm, the text on the...
Mmmmm, the text on the blueprint image is very small but I'll try when I get home. My father rolls steel for reproduction wheel rims for vintage cars (first set to Belgium a few weeks ago!) so perhaps he can help. I've seen steel bent on the pipe bender and have no concerns that the pieces would be identical however when I've seen steel rolled on big cylinders for large radii I'm not so confident the two side peieces would be identical, perhaps a press would be a better idea?

blueprints
What a good stroke off googling luck, if you open the excel inventory on this page you'll see that the university holds the Tugendhat chair blueprints for American production, rendered by Duckett.
It would be so fascinating to see all the drawings.
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/avery/da/mies.html

Hey guy's..... you make ...
Hey guy's..... you make the Tugendhat bases out of either chrome or stainless steel in Ausrailia
and i will make the cushions at our Shop here in America and guess what we won't have to use the Chinese for nothing !!!!

Like my red/blue knock off...
Like my red/blue knock off its something I'd do for myself. It would be a big job!

Hi HP
Large radii are not rolled on big cylinders. It is the position of the cylinders, not their diameter that determines the radius. Typical large radii benders have cylinders of a few inches diameter.

of course, I've just been in...
of course, I've just been in my parents shed looking at my Dads rollers. I've been wondering about what sort of steel...I've come across some grades called cf 1020 or m 1020 which have a moderate carbon content, if I was to ever do such a thing though I think I'd take the Brno into a fabricators as a demo of what I need the steel to do.

try
never hurts to try you might be surprised that you can do it

anythings do-able if you...
anythings do-able if you throw enough money at it, but thats one thing I'm in short supply of! Do I sacrifice all the kartell bits on the ebay altar to pay for it?...I mean them, I'd have to have 2 🙂

oops forgot
I got the macro lens out on the blueprint image (duckett, 1950, held by Vitra) and as near as I can make out the absolute width of the backrest appears to be 29 3/4" and the dimensions of the flat bar seems to be 1/2 x 1 3/4 though its was a very very dirty image.
I wonder if Vitra or Columbia would divulge that information if asked?

Steel spec
Does anyone know the grade of steel that is used in the tugendhat? Does it need any special treatment to ensure it doesn't bend (permanently) under the weight of the sitter?