Diamond Chairs by Harry Bertoia for Knoll, 1970s

Bertoia Small Diamond Chairs, originally designed by Harry Bertoia in 1952. These particular examples were produced by Knoll in the USA in the 1970s. The chairs are comprised of welded steel rods and are upholstered in a yellow fabric.

In 1950, Bertoia was invited by Florence Knoll to join Knoll, where he was given unusual freedom to explore furniture as a sculptural medium. In 1952 he introduced his most enduring design: the Diamond Chair, part of a larger wire furniture collection. The design was defined by a clear set of principles: openness of form, structural efficiency, and the use of industrial material to articulate volume without mass. Formed from welded steel rods, the chair balances strength with permeability, allowing space to pass through it while maintaining a precise geometric presence.

The work departed from the heavier upholstered furniture that dominated the period. Bertoia described the collection as “mostly made of air,” emphasizing its spatial character. The Diamond Chair demonstrated how industrial fabrication could produce objects that were both exacting and expressive, contributing to Knoll’s position within postwar design and establishing Bertoia’s role within that context.