Florence Knoll 1954
Designed in 1954 as what Florence Knoll modestly referred to as one of the “fill-in pieces that no one else wants to do,” the Florence Knoll Bench now stands as a defining example of modern design. Consistent with all of her designs, the bench has a spare, geometric profile that reflects the objective perfectionism and rational design approach Florence Knoll learned from her mentor, Mies van der Rohe.
As head of the Knoll Planning unit, Florence Knoll always approached furniture design with the larger space in mind. Most important to her was how a piece fit into the greater design — the room, the floor, the building. Every element of a Knoll-planned space supported the overall design and complemented the existing architecture.
Never one to compromise, Florence would often design furniture when she, “needed the piece of furniture for a job and it wasn’t there.” And while she never regarded herself as a furniture designer, her quest for harmony of space and consistency of design led her to design several of Knoll’s most iconic pieces—all simple, none plain.
As skyscrapers rose up across America during the post-war boom, Florence Knoll saw it as her job to translate the vocabulary and rationale of the modern exterior to the interior space of the corporate office. Thus, unlike Saarinen and Bertoia, her designs were architectural in foundation, not sculptural. She scaled down the rhythm and details of modern architecture while humanizing them through color and texture. Her lounge collection, designed in 1954, is a perfect example of her restrained, geometric approach to furniture, clearly derived from her favorite mentor, Mies van der Rohe.
After demonstrating an early interest in architecture, Florence Schust was enrolled at the Kingswood School for Girls, adjacent to the Cranbrook Academy of Art. There she met Eilel Saarinen, and went on to study under some of the greatest 20th century architects, including Gropius, Breuer, and Mies van der Rohe.
With Florence’s design skills and her husband Hans’ business acumen and salesmanship, the pair grew Knoll into an international arbiter of style and design. In creating the revolutionary Knoll Planning Unit, Florence Knoll defined the standard for the modern corporate interiors of post-war America.
For a complete list of applicable upholsteries, please visit the Surface Finish Library.
19255 | MillerKnoll San Francisco Showroom with Cove Collection by Knoll Private Workstation, Newson Chair, and Florence Knoll Bench
14224 | Florence Knoll Bench with Platner Lounge Chair
14104 | Florence Knoll Three Seater Bench
10406 | Florence Knoll Bench
8124 | Florence Knoll Lounge
6090 | Barcelona Chair, Florence Knoll Bench
5388 | Florence Knoll Bench, Platner Dining Table
4240 | Florence Knoll Bench
4239 | Florence Knoll Bench
6013 | Florence Knoll Bench
6011 | Florence Knoll Bench
6007 | Florence Knoll Bench
5195 | Florence Knoll Bench
5194 | Florence Knoll Lounge Collection
3948 | Florence Knoll Bench
3947 | Florence Knoll Bench
3340 | Florence Knoll Bench
3338 | Florence Knoll Bench
3269 | Florence Knoll Bench
2803 | KnollStudio Florence Knoll Bench
2802 | KnollStudio Florence Knoll Bench
The configurator below is for reference purposes only. All options, finishes and sizes may not be represented.
For the complete scope, please refer to the KnollStudio price list.