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Richard Schultz 1966 Collection

Richard Schultz joined Knoll Associates in 1951 to work with Harry Bertoia, after studying at Iowa State University and the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. In addition to his work for Knoll, he designed an office system for Stow/Davis. He also taught basic design at the Philadelphia College of Art and had a one-man show of his sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

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Richard Schultz (1926-2021) joined Knoll in 1951 to assist Harry Bertoia on production of the Bertoia wire collection. His Petal Table, introduced in 1960, received the Industrial Design magazine design award. His 715 Chaise Lounge, designed in 1961 to complement the Bertoia chairs, was selected by the Museum of Modern Art for its permanent collection of contemporary furniture in 1963.

He designed the 1966 Collection at the request of Florence Knoll, who had moved to a Florida seaside home and was sending the Knoll design team corroded furniture asking them to develop something that could withstand salt air. The collection uses powder-coated aluminium frames and vinyl-coated steel mesh, materials chosen for weather performance. Knoll regards it as the first modern outdoor furniture; it has remained the reference point for the category for over fifty years.

The collection includes dining tables, a coffee table, and a bar-height table in rectangular and square sizes. The mesh tops allow water drainage and reduce wind load. Frame colours include white and stone. Knoll acquired Richard Schultz Design in 2012, enabling continued production of the classic range alongside newer Schultz designs.

The Richard Schultz 1966 Collection is available in Canada at GRShop. See also: Bertoia Collection. Contact us for lead times on specific configurations.