EAST GREENVILLE, Pa. — Knoll, Inc. will launch its Chicago Showroom at 811 W. Fulton Market on Monday, June 10. The new space will host the first-ever Knoll Design Days, June 10-12, an immersive event where Knoll will debut products, host engaging programs and inspire the design community and its clients with a new view of Chicago. Knoll will debut products across its constellation of brands – Knoll Office, KnollStudio, DatesWeiser, Spinneybeck | FilzFelt, KnollTextiles and Muuto – that reflect co-founder Florence Knoll’s pioneering “total design” perspective, which channeled the power of good design and blurred the lines between workplaces and homes.
During Knoll Design Days, Knoll will also host the Florence Knoll Women in Design Dialogues on June 10-11. The Dialogues honor Florence Knoll who passed away at 101 in January 2019 and will explore her “total design” approach in the context of today’s design, artistic and workplace environments.
Andrew Cogan, Knoll Chairman and CEO, said, “As the workplace constantly reinvents itself, our ever-evolving constellation of design-driven brands unites legacy and innovation to create inspired modern interiors that foster rich interactions and impact what we do.”
“The Fulton Market District, with its vibrant architecture and streetscapes, is the ideal setting for Knoll to present a transformative view of how we work and live today,” he added.
Designed in collaboration with Gensler, the 24,000 square foot space over three floors demonstrates ideas and inspiration for individuals, small groups and teams; natural materiality; architectural and acoustic harmony; hospitality experience; and engaging technology. The fifth floor is the North American flagship showroom of Scandinavian design brand Muuto, the latest addition to the Knoll constellation of brands. Muuto collaborates with the best of today’s contemporary designers to bring new perspectives to Scandinavian design through forward-looking materials, techniques and bold creative thinking.
Commenting on the new space, Benjamin Pardo, Knoll Design Director, said, “We’ve designed Fulton Market to inspire our commercial, education, healthcare, hospitality, residential and public sector clients to plan environments that adapt to evolving workstyles. Florence Knoll’s ‘total design’ perspective, blurring the lines between workplaces and homes, is more relevant than ever.”
Anders Cleemann, Muuto CEO, added, “At Muuto, we want to tell our story of new perspectives on Scandinavian design to the North American audience, showing how our collection of furniture, lighting and accessories can affect workplaces and public environments for the better. Our new space in Chicago is a natural extension of that desire as well as a means to engage a broader audience.”
A Perspective on Planning: The Choice is Yours
The new Fulton Market showroom demonstrates that today’s most successful workspaces offer people a choice-based experience. The space illustrates how workspaces are no longer limited to either/or, but rather promote both/and, supporting a range of activities and experiences. An experience-based workplace offers people choice and mobility, allowing them to adapt a space to fit the needs for the task at hand. Opportunities include evolving planning strategies:
- from Open or Enclose to Open and Enclosed
- from Work or Social to Work and Social
- from Owned or Communal to Owned and Communal
- from Focus or Collaboration to Focus and Collaboration
- from Individual or Team to Individual and Team
- from Physical or Digital to Physical and Digital
New and Notable
Introductions from Knoll Office
- Antenna Power Beam by Antenna Design. Antenna Power Beam is a high-performance platform that promotes connectivity in an open, flexible environment. A simplified elevated raceway delivers scalable power and data in a minimal footprint, freeing up space for a more personalized high-performance workspace. An extensive collection of plannable elements -technology spine, personal and group storage, and screens and accessories — comes together to create a spectrum of solutions: simple, agile spaces; storage based workstations; and personalized high-performing workspaces.
- Rockwell Unscripted Creative Wall Enclosures by Rockwell Group. Creative Wall enclosures complement built-architecture planned as singular spaces or as a series of fluid zones, designed for individual getaway spaces or team spaces. New options include sealed glass doors and windows; full-height surfaces; and a ceiling plane.
- Quoin Storage. Quoin offers streamlined metal solutions to individual and group storage needs. An innovative cantilever shelf support system allows for a clean aesthetic for open and enclosed units, with no visible adjustment holes. The collection includes lockers, credenzas, mobile pedestals, bookcases and a storage island.
- Generation by Knoll Anniversary Collection. In celebration of 10 years of Generation, the first chair to allow unrestrained movement and let you sit how you want, Knoll is introducing the Anniversary Collection. Five new finishes — Grapefruit, Sunset, Lime, Teal Breeze and Ocean — can be specified on the Generation back for the next year.
- Islands Collection by Dan Grabowski. Islands tables are refined, light in scale, and support a broad spectrum of workstyles. With an inviting aesthetic, inventive shapes and expansive selection of finishes, the new collection brings creativity and performance to individual and shared spaces. Adding to the robust Knoll collection of meeting tables, the Islands Collection allows the classic warmth of natural materials to blend seamlessly with the technological needs of today’s workplace. Organic shapes promote active participation, offering a seat to everyone at the table, while natural veneer brings the outside in. Thoughtfully-designed and user-friendly power access and technology management is simple to specify and adapt as technology changes.
- Ollo by Glen Oliver Loew. Ollo is a light task chair designed for improvisation and spontaneity across the workplace. With its modern form and intuitive movement, Ollo is ready for the task at hand. Ollo has a welcoming, open form that carries you from solo work through team get-togethers. Straightforward and responsive, Ollo leverages engineering and material advances to recognize and adjust to your movements and gestures without additional levers and knobs.
Introductions from KnollStudio
- KN Collection by Piero Lissoni. The KN Collection is a family of swivel lounge chairs that create a range of spaces—from collaborative meeting to individual refuge—with elevated detailing and comfort. Innovative suspension that adjusts to your sit and a smooth recline mechanism on the high back mean maximum relaxation.
- Florence Knoll Relaxed Benches by Florence Knoll. Florence Knoll benches, in six different sizes, add a lower, casual horizon with architectural shapes that can be moved and combined in various ways.
- Stools from Cesca to Saarinen to Risom. In honor of the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus, Knoll re-introduces the iconic Cesca chair with new bar and counter stools as well as a two-toned upholstery option on all models. Expanding the popular Saarinen Executive Collection, the classic design has been extended with new options in bar and counter height. The Risom Collection has also been extended with bar and counter height options.
- Butler Table by Lewis Butler. An early member of the Planning Unit and protégé of Florence Knoll, Lewis Butler originally designed this low table in the 1950s. With simple, clean lines, the re-introduction is available with natural oak or ebonized beech legs and white and black high gloss laminate tops.
- Pixel “S” Series by Marc Krusin. The C Leg Pixel table has a new simplified and functional silhouette to complement the original Pixel advanced model. The “S” Series is offered in limited sizes and finishes: 60x24 and 60x30; flip or fixed top; work height; laminate and ABS edge only.
Introductions from KnollTextiles
- The Shape of Things Collection. KnollTextiles’ adventurous new collection explores vibrant colors and large-scale patterns across striking designs that are equally impactful separately or when beautifully mismatched within an interior. The Shape of Things Collection features 3 new upholsteries, 2 double-width draperies, including a sound absorbing sheer, 3 high-performance woven wallcoverings and a multi-use pattern approved for direct glue wallcovering, wrapped panel and upholstery application.
- Craft Work Collection. The Craft Work Collection celebrates the artistry of textiles traditionally made by hand. The patterns reflect techniques and the skillful craftsmanship of old-world quilters, weavers and embroiderers. The collection is made up of high- performance fabrics, including bleach cleanable woven and non-woven upholsteries, woven and non-woven wallcoverings and a privacy curtain.
- Contour Collection. The Contour Collection is inspired by the study of organic and structured elements including interlocking geometries found in art pieces and sculpture. Contour is the largest collection from KnollTextiles in 2019.
Introductions from Muuto
- Outline Highback Sofa Series by Anderssen and Voll. The Outline Highback Sofa Series creates private spheres within the open plan through a soft, deep seat and clean, refined lines, bringing the ideas of collaboration, conversation and focus work to the modern workplace. The new Outline Highback Work is a 1-seater with added functionality such as a work desk, integrated storage and easy power access.
- Oslo Side Chair by Anderssen and Voll. A refined take on the upholstered side chair with playful lines and a soft seat, the Oslo Side Chair is the newest addition to the Oslo Series and comes with Chrome and Anthracite bases for both a contemporary and timeless expression.
- Relate Side Table by BIG-GAME. The Relate Side Table has an elegant modern expression with two planes and a graphic leg. Pull the Relate Side Table up to a sofa for a temporary workstation or use it decoratively. Available with either an oak veneer or linoleum surface in various colors.
- Linear Wood Series by Thomas Bentzen. The new Linear Wood Series is the second design of the Linear Family, introduced in January 2019. The Wood Series is an indoor table and bench collection made from oak veneer and solid oak, boasting a simple and elegant look. The Linear Wood Series joins the Linear Steel Outdoor Series, a new perspective on modern outdoor furniture.
Introductions from Spinneybeck|FilzFelt
- Dukta Flexible Wood. A series of complex incisions brings textile-like properties such as transparency and sound absorption to wood. Dukta Flexible Wood adapts to a wide range of applications including curved bar fronts, wall and ceiling panels, free-standing screens, and acoustic installations. Available in full sheets as well as acoustic wall panel products, the four patterns of incised wood are available in select engineered woods and hardwoods.
Workplace Technology at Knoll Design Days
Technology is not only fundamental to the productivity of today’s workforce, it’s increasingly shaping the way we work and live. To this end, Knoll partners with technology visionaries to deliver best-in-class workplace solutions that adapt to unique organizational needs and spaces. These technologies pair with Knoll products to facilitate greater connection, collaboration, and comfort. Together, they harness utilization insights to drive smarter decision making and efficient operations.
Context is critical when identifying the right technology solution. There is not a “one size fits all” solution and clients are picking and choosing the technologies that best fit their specific needs. For Design Days 2019, Knoll has partnered with Density and RIO by Rol Ergo, both on display at 811 W. Fulton Market.
- Density. Density helps customers improve business operations, reduce costs, and drive growth with their intelligent sensors and analytics software, which can anonymously count people in a space in real time to provide utilization data. Density will be showcased on the 6th floor and representatives are available for questions and demonstrations.
- RIO by Rol Ergo. RIO is a workplace technology platform comprised of three key elements:
- RIO Companion is a front-end software app for a seamless workplace experience. It allows people to book space, find colleagues and navigate the campus right from their own device or a public kiosk.
- RIO for Height-Adjustable Tables allows users to set personal preferences including reminders to stand, and adjust the table from a mobile app. It also allows people to set wellness goals and track their progress.
- RIO Analytics leverages the data from the front-end platforms to inform organizational decision making. Proprietary sensors can be also be installed to cross-reference booking information with actual behavior. And on this flexible platform, you can choose a short-term study or ongoing monitoring.
Florence Knoll Women in Design Dialogues
Scheduled for June 10-11 at 811 W. Fulton Street, the Florence Knoll Women in Design Dialogues explore Florence Knoll’s pioneering approach to “total design” in the context of today’s design, artistic and workplace environments. Registration is required and can be done here: Florence Knoll Women in Design.
Monday, June 10
- Channeling Total Design 12pm CT – Listen to Dorothy Cosonas, KnollTextiles Creative Director, and Maria Cornejo, Designer, describe their “total design” perspectives as Zoe Ryan, John H. Bryan Chair and Curator of Architecture and Design, Art Institute of Chicago, asks how today’s landscape impacts their approach.
- From Yarn Bombing to Total Design of Place 2pm CT – Sit down with Debbie Millman, Educator and Design MattersPodcast Host, and Magda Sayeg, Artist, as the two discuss Magda’s work and how it relates to designing and artmaking for an entire space as a means to shift our perceptions of our surroundings.
Tuesday, June 11
- Intersection: Digital Distraction / Digital Workplace 12pm CT – Join a discussion among Verda Alexander, co-founder, o+a; Patrick Larvie, Google/REWS, Workplace User Experience; and Tracy Wymer, Workplace Strategy, Knoll on designing in today’s digital world. Heidi Mitchell, Design Journalist, moderates.
- ANEW: 10 Years Comes Full Circle, by Design 2pm CT – Learn about sustainability as part of the facilities and design process in response to today’s environmental challenges with Rose Tourje, Founder, ANEW; Rumi Walsh, Manager, Real Estate Facilities and Administrations for Mazda; and Margaret DiLorenzo, Project Manager, Retail Team, CBRE for Bank of America.
Farnsworth House and Knoll Celebrate 100 Years of the Bauhaus
In celebration of the Bauhaus centennial, Knoll and the Farnsworth House have partnered to create “Masters of Modern: Bauhaus Masters & Shu.” The exhibition, open from May 20 – July 21 at the Barnsworth Gallery in Plano, IL, explores the strong bond between Florence Knoll, dubbed Shu by friends and family, and the Modern movement.
Throughout her career, Florence Knoll translated the Bauhaus idea of the total work of art to the American public and corporate world of the 1950’s and 1960’s. She helped define American Modernism and set a precedent for design that is holistic rather than object focused. The exhibition highlights the intersection of the Bauhaus and Knoll, and includes furniture by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Florence Knoll and Marcel Breuer, as well as KnollTextiles’ contemporary rendition of Anni Albers’ archival Eclat weave.
Designed by Mies van der Rohe in 1945 and constructed in 1951, the Farnsworth House is a vital part of Modern American architecture. The house is exemplary of both the International Style of architecture as well as the Modern movement’s desire to juxtapose rational, streamlined design with the surrounding natural environment.
For further information visit farnsworthhouse.org
About Knoll
Knoll is recognized internationally for workplace and residential design that inspires, evolves, and endures. Our portfolio of furniture, textiles, leathers, and accessories brands, including Knoll, KnollStudio, KnollTextiles, KnollExtra, Spinneybeck, FilzFelt, Edelman Leather, and HOLLY HUNT, reflects our commitment to modern design that meets the diverse requirements of high performance offices 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 is aligned with the U.S. Green Building Council and the Canadian Green Building Council and can help organizations achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design LEED workplace certification. Knoll is the founding sponsor of the World Monuments Fund Modernism at Risk program.
Contact
press@knoll.com