Knoll Florence Knoll® Relaxed Lounge Chair
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.
Warmed through color and texture, the Florence Knoll Lounge Chair is a scaled-down translation of the rhythm and proportions of mid-century modern architecture. With a spare, geometric profile—an expression of the rational design approach Florence Knoll learned from her mentor, Mies van der Rohe—the lounge chair is utterly modern and totally timeless.
Compared to the standard Florence Knoll Lounge Collection, the relaxed edition offers a softer version, with deeper proportions for a more relaxed sit. Consistent with all of Knoll’s designs, it has a spare, angular profile that reflects the objective perfectionism of modern design in the early 1960s.
MEASUREMENTS:
- Height: 79.3 cm / 31.2 inch
- Seat Height: 46.3 cm / 18.2 inch
- Arm Height: 59.7 cm / 23.5 inch
- Width: 82 cm / 32.2 inch
- Depth: 82 cm / 32.2 inch
MATERIALS:
- Exposed metal frame and legs in heavy gauge steel with polished chrome finish
- Inner frame is solid wood
HELPFUL NOTES:
- Seat suspension with No-Sag springs
- Greenguard Indoor Air Quality Certified®
Florence Knoll
USA, 1917
Born Florence Schust in 1917, and orphaned at age 12, Knoll began her architectural studies at the Kingswood School in Michigan and was virtually adopted by the family of Eliel Saarinen. She continued her studies at Cranbook Academy of Art, the Architectural Association in London, and the Illinois Institute of Technology under Mies van der Rohe, where she received her architectural degree. In 1946, she married Hans Knoll, owner of the Hans G. Knoll Furniture Company and the firm became known as Knoll Associates, Inc.
As an architect, interior space planner, and furniture designer, Florence Knoll defined the look and market for modern design in corporate America in the 1950s and made modern American design an international style. Her pioneering interiors profoundly influenced post-World War II design. Her reductive aesthetic of light, open spaces furnished with elegant woven fabrics, furniture grouped for informal conversation and brightly colored wall panels made Knoll one of the most influential design firms of the time.
Her notable planning projects for the firm included the interior design of the CBS, Seagrams, and Look magazine offices in New York City. After her husband’s death, Florence served as president and continued as design director of the company until 1965 when she resigned to pursue a career as a freelance designer.
Knoll has lived their guiding principle, "good design is good business," since 1938. Products are all created to inspire, fit, and last. The Bauhaus philosophy that furniture should complement, not compete with architecture, is central to Knoll’s design. Its extensive portfolio includes office work systems, residential mid-century modern classics, textiles, and accessories.
Designers like Harry Bertoia, Eero Saarinen, Warren Platner, Isamu Noguchi, and Florence Knoll contributed to Knoll’s iconic designs. Knoll invests in research and field studies and explores organizational behavior and technology to ensure quality excellence. As a leader in sustainability, Knoll’s practices reduce waste and conserve resources. Based in Pennsylvania, Knoll has a strong international presence, and 40 products are in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Knoll products incur a 7.5% shipping charge at checkout, with a minimum of $85 and maximum of $500. This fee reflects White Glove Delivery for large items, which includes bringing the item to your room of choice, unpacking, removal of packaging, and assembly.
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