Knoll to Showcase Hospitality at Work at NeoCon 2018

EAST GREENVILLE, Pa., May 22, 2018 -- Knoll Inc., a constellation of design-driven brands and people celebrating its 80th Anniversary, will present Hospitality at Work at NeoCon 2018 – the annual contract industry trade show that will take place in Chicago from June 11-13. Knoll will introduce designs by Antenna Design, Dorothy Cosonas, Lars Beller Fjetland, Marc Krusin, Glen Oliver Loew, Marc Newson and Rockwell Group. In addition, Knoll will present the newest member of its constellation of brands: Muuto, a resimercial, design-driven Scandinavian brand representing global style for the workplace and home.

The Hospitality at Work Showroom will feature five individually themed spaces, illustrating the power of hospitality in today’s workplace: Welcoming Environments, User-Directed Experiences, Flexible Solutions, Material Variety and Residential Aesthetic.

The NeoCon display will leverage the Knoll constellation of brands, bringing together the company’s workplace solutions and services – including Knoll Office and KnollStudio furnishings and accessories; DatesWeiser conference and meeting room furniture; Spinneybeck and FilzFelt architectural and acoustic materials; KnollTextiles fabrics, wallcoverings and drapery; and Muuto.

Benjamin Pardo, Knoll Design Director, stated, “We have experience both in how people live and work, allowing us to help clients create hospitality-focused social and collaborative environments. Our work with the world’s best architects and industrial designers has resulted in workplace solutions that redefine flexibility and address the roles of individuals and teams.”

Presenting Hospitality at Work

Today’s mobile workstyles lift limitations on where work is done. To this end, organizations are focused on creating engaging environments that attract workers to the office. In response, the workplace has taken on a new life, incorporating elements of residential and hospitality design to add comfort, functionality and aesthetics for employees to collaborate, ideate and socialize.

Mr. Pardo added, “Our perspective on Immersive Planning positions hospitality as one of five key factors that contribute to a new way of working and thinking about the office environment.”

Immersive Planning, a Knoll Revolution Workplace™ planning paradigm, identifies five major shifts that are changing the way work is done: group-based work; hospitality and residential influences; office as home base; abilities for employees to make the workplace their own; and a decreasing real estate footprint. Together, these considerations lead to an environment that blurs the lines between workspace types, enhancing interaction and connected experiences, and creating a sense of hospitality at every exchange.

Commenting on what makes the best hospitality environments, Mr. Pardo noted, “welcoming materials, soft-touch points and up-to-date amenities are expected. Companies are realizing the importance of creating a space that is truly inspiring to attract and retain the best talent.”

New Knoll Workplace Solutions

• Rockwell Unscripted® Workplace Enhancements
  NeoCon 2018 will debut Rockwell Unscripted® Creative Wall Enclosures and Sawhorse Workbench. Both products echo the collection’s core principles of creating an unrivaled work experience designed to let spontaneity unfold and people complete the space. Creative Wall Enclosures incorporate the same post and lintel framework as Creative Wall but offer entirely closed spaces with doors and windows for private phone conversations or highly focused work.
  
  Sawhorse Workbench, with its warm expression of wood and welcoming curved and tapered touchpoints, merges the privacy and focus of traditional benching systems with the collaborative and open characteristics of today’s workplaces. Powerful dividers and cable managements make the Sawhorse Workbench a truly versatile product.

• Height Adjustable Desk and Table Options from Antenna Design
  Antenna® Telescope
  Increasing the current offering of height-adjustable tables, new Boomerang and Racetrack shaped tops bring a playful approach to Telescope 120 by Antenna Design. The smooth curves and soft edges of the organically shaped tops, evocative of a more residential feel, can be combined to configure a continuous wave of desks for an active workplace without compromising the well-being of height-adjustability.
  
  k. bench™ Achieve more with less. k. bench is a straightforward height-adjustable benching system. A small, yet adaptable kit of parts allows for the integration of two height ranges in the same cluster, and the continuous power channel offers the flexibility to add or subtract desks in the field. The simplified and integrated cable management system anticipates the long-term needs of cable management upkeep – meaning no visible cables. Slim upholstered screens provide visual privacy and tactile warmth to the open plan.

• Pixel™ Trapezoid Tops
  Pixel™ by Marc Krusin, delivers an innovative update to flexible meeting tables. Whether ganged or freestanding, flipped or fixed, nested or folded, Pixel solves the long list of workspace and classroom demands. The new Pixel trapezoid tops further enhance the collections flexibility. The shape of the table makes it easy to assemble circular configurations for spontaneous collaboration. With legs that run parallel to the diagonal edge of the table top, Pixel Trapezoid tables can be easily and efficiently stored.

• Reff™ Profiles Wall
  Enhancing the current portfolio of Reff Profiles height-adjustable desks and tables, the new Reff Profiles Wall is a height-adjustable table complimented by a series of shelves and storage, mounted flush to the wall. Overhead and shelving space provides the essential elements for display, storage and ergonomically-focused work. Straight tops in favor of height-adjustable tops will also be available. The Reff Profiles Wall leverages the range of veneer finishes introduced at NeoCon 2017.

• The Beller Desktop Collection by Lars Beller Fjetland
  Poised to bring material warmth and the latest charging technology to the desktop, Lars Beller Fjetland’s new collection of desktop accessories organizes the evolving workplace – one filled with digital devices and everyday essentials rather than reams of paper. Previewing at NeoCon 2018, The Beller Desktop Collection combines functionality and natural materials, primarily wood and cork, to create a family of products that efficiently organize the everyday things that clutter the worksurface. The lightweight, bent wood collection is designed to easily stack together or be used individually, providing maximum storage flexibility for any size desktop. In addition, the Beller Collection marries organic materials with wireless and USB charging technology, simultaneously allowing individuals to charge multiple devices while adding a handcrafted, high quality, natural touch to their work area.
  
  The Beller Collection includes Small Box, Small Box with USB, Low Tray, High Tray, Paper Tray, Mirror and a Wireless Charging Pad all made from wood and cork to bring a sense of hospitality in the areas closest to individuals – right at their fingertips. The use of wood and cork reflects Lars Beller’s core philosophy that humans benefit from everyday interactions with natural materials.

• DatesWeiser Live Edge Tables
  Combining the natural beauty of a walnut slab with superior craftsmanship, DatesWeiser live edge tables bring warmth and a sense of hospitality to the workplace. Live edge incorporates the natural edge of the wood slab selected for the table top into the overall design. The more organic process does not compromise functionality – both power and data are integrated into the table to enhance the user experience.

Knoll Technology Solutions

For a second year, Knoll has partnered with two forward-thinking companies – Polycom and Density – to build an environment that leverages technology to create an unrivaled work experience. Knoll has also partnered with ROL Ergo, incorporating their Intelligent Desk technology into Telescope and Tone height-adjustable tables. Technology continues to transform the way we work. With properties and people distributed globally, in a fast-moving business climate, organizations are using technology to inform workplace design and help workers communicate, innovate and thrive.

• Polycom + Knoll
  Polycom, Inc. is an industry leader in enterprise grade business communication solutions and is focused on integrating its products into existing workflows. Knoll is showcasing Polycom presentation, co-creation, and videoconference solutions throughout its NeoCon showroom.

• Density + Knoll
  Density is an anonymous, people counting system. With Density, Knoll is showcasing the power of people counting with depth-sensing technology that measures the utilization of a group space in the showroom.

• ROL Ergo Intelligent Desk + Knoll
  ROL Ergo is the world’s top supplier of custom-made electric sit-stand table desks, developing products and solutions that help improve wellbeing. With Intelligent Desk technology, height-adjustable desk users can measure utilization and wellness by way of reported time spent sitting versus standing, all through the ease of an intuitive smartphone application. Sensors also work with fixed desks and meeting spaces, generating tailored reports on utilization for individuals and teams.

Design Seminars at NeoCon 2018

This year at NeoCon, Knoll will host a series of seminars focused on design for today’s evolving workplace. Beginning on Monday, June 11 there will be two seminars, Rockwell Unscripted®: Where You Complete the Story at 12:00pm and Meet Muuto at 4:00pm. Two additional seminars will be offered on Tuesday, June 12, Ideation and Process with Glen Oliver Loew at 9:00am and Rockwell Unscripted®: Where You Complete the Story at 12:00pm.

To register, contact Linda Kasper, [email protected]. Space is limited. In addition, all seminars will be live streamed and available to watch at www.knoll.com/live and the Knoll Facebook Page. A replay function will also be available in case you miss any of the seminars.

Introducing a Light Task Chair by Glen Oliver Loew

Glen Oliver Loew’s light task chair is designed to support improvisation and spontaneity across a variety of environments and workstyles. With its modern form and intuitive movement, whether you’re just touching down or staying a while, the Loew chair adapts to the task at hand.

Intentionally simple and free of complicated mechanisms, the open form welcomes the user without dictating the chair's function. An active pivot connects the curved back and seat which responds to a user's movements and natural gestures without compromising support.

Drawing inspiration from classic mid-century designs, the Loew chair is the modern-day everywhere chair, updated with engineering and material advances. The Loew Chair can be specified in two lower-back colors, light grey and black, and three upper-back colors, light grey, medium grey and black for a monochromatic or contrasting finish. The seat can be specified in a variety of textiles for a pop of color or a neutral look.

Introducing the Marc Newson Aluminum Chair

Honoring the cantilevered chairs of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Marc Newson’s design for Knoll is a forward-looking expression that synthesizes simplicity, material and precision, in the Modernist tradition. The radical design reflects Newson’s fanaticism for the space age, as well as his belief that, “design is about improving things and about looking to the future, pushing technology forward.”

Defined by a single uninterrupted line, the design brings Marc Newson’s signature combination of organic forms and precision engineering to the Knoll seating portfolio. The side chair for Knoll marries hard and soft, solid and transparent, in a striking form that seems to levitate in space.

The Newson Aluminum Chair is offered in three frame colors: black, warm white and metallic silver; and six mesh colors: black, grey, blue, red, yellow and white. In addition, the stacking chair has two versions: arm and armless.

Introducing Muuto

New to the brand’s portfolio, Knoll will introduce Muuto with its own dedicated space in the Hospitality at Work Showroom. Rooted in Scandinavian design traditions and characterized by enduring aesthetics, functionality, craftsmanship and an honest expression, Muuto is a natural complement to the Knoll aesthetic.

Andrew Cogan, Knoll President and CEO, stated, “Muuto products pair seamlessly with the range of modern Knoll designs, offering an expanded breadth and depth of affordable luxury products that reflect today’s evolving workstyles and trends in residential design, with particular appeal to a younger generation of architects, designers and clients and those seeking a homier, more relaxed aesthetic.”

Anders Cleemann, Muuto CEO, commented, "2018 will be our biggest presence ever at NeoCon. We want to tell the Muuto story to the American audience, showing how our resimercial Scandinavian design can affect workplaces and public environments for the better."

New KnollTextiles Designs Explore Pattern and Structure

KnollTextiles will present the Interwine Collection by Dorothy Cosonas, KnollTextiles Creative Director, and the Atmosphere Collection, a collaboration with Trove. Marking the 10-year anniversary of Knoll Luxe, three Knoll Luxe advance preview products will also be shown. The Intertwine Collection explores patterns, structure and geometry both on and off the grid with upholstery and drapery products. The Atmosphere Collection is a study of how intrinsic forces in nature shape patterns rendered in large-scale gestural movements on high performance Thermoplastic Olefin wallcovering. Selections from each collection will be incorporated into a larger than life display of flowers, plants and creatures made exclusively with KnollTextiles products. 

FilzFelt and Spinnybeck Introductions Concentrate on Texture

FilzFelt will introduce Ribsy, an acoustic wallcovering that has a ribbed texture made with thick wool felt strips. The tile-based system creates wall-to-wall installations with subtle color variation between felt strips to create rich depth and texture.

Spinnybeck will showcase Dukta flexible wood, announcing their new collaboration with the Switzerland-based company. Dukta developed its patented incision process that makes wood flexible, allowing for textile-like properties that adapt to a wide-range of applications including wall and ceiling panels, free-standing screens and acoustic installations.

Celebrating 80 Years of Design

To celebrate the brand’s 80^th Anniversary, Knoll has re-introduced classics and enhanced icons.

• Butterfly Chair
  Drawing from the past, Knoll pays tribute to design originality, creating a special edition of the Butterfly Chair. Designed by Antonio Bonet, Juan Kurchan and Jorge Ferrari-Hardoy in 1937, the Butterfly Chair invented a new way of sitting, freeing people from formal situations and encouraging a new convivial spirit that laid the groundwork for contemporary furniture design.
  
  Today’s Butterfly Chair has sinuous, dynamic lines made possible by the materials involved: thermoformed felt fitted to a steel frame. The thermoformed felt seat becomes a self-supporting structure with the dual role of seat and covering. Laser cutting the felt allows for a clean and seamless integration of seat and frame.

• Risom Outdoor Collection
  Designed by Jens Risom in 1943, his first collection of chairs and tables has since been used for every application imaginable, from the home to the workplace to hospitality environments. Honoring the collection’s enduring design, selected classics from Risom’s original collection have been re-engineered for outdoor use.
  
  The Risom Outdoor Collection includes a lounge chair without arms and a side chair, both constructed with Sunbrella® fabric webbing designed to resist fading from excessive exposure to sunlight, and a newly introduced ottoman, and a square and round side table – all available in teak. Webbing is offered in 6 distinct colors: charcoal, navy, ochre, carbon, antique beige and fern.

About Knoll

Knoll, Inc. is a constellation of design-driven brands and people, working together with our clients to create inspired modern interiors. Our internationally recognized portfolio includes furniture, textiles, leathers, accessories, and architectural and acoustical elements brands. These brands — Knoll Office, KnollStudio, KnollTextiles, KnollExtra, Spinneybeck | FilzFelt, Edelman Leather, HOLLY HUNT, DatesWeiser and Muuto — reflect our commitment to modern design that meets the diverse requirements of high performance workplaces and luxury interiors. A recipient of the National Design Award for Corporate and Institutional Achievement from the Smithsonian`s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Knoll, Inc. is aligned with the U.S. Green Building Council and the Canadian Green Building Council and can help organizations achieve the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) workplace certification. Knoll, Inc. is the founding sponsor of the World Monuments Fund Modernism at Risk program.

 

Contacts

David Bright
Knoll, Inc.
212 343-4135
[email protected]

Lucas Onetti
Knoll, Inc.
212 343-4030
[email protected]