Pair of Florence Knoll Model 31 armchairs, Kvadrat fabric

• Florence Knoll for Knoll International, a pair of “Model 31” armchairs designed in 1954, original edition manufactured in Belgium under license from Knoll in the late 1950s.
• The structures were lightly sanded and then repainted. New foam pads for seats and backrests. New upholstery in Kvadrat Sisu fabric .
• H 73 CM X D 66 CM X W 63 CM.
• H sitting 43 CM.

Florence Knoll (1917-2019)

Architect, designer and major figure of American modernism

Born Florence Schust in 1917 in the United States, Florence Knoll lost her parents at a young age. She began her architectural studies at Kingswood School in Michigan, where she was closely associated with the Eliel Saarinen family, who played a decisive role in her training. She continued her education at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, the Architectural Association in London, and the Illinois Institute of Technology, where she studied under Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, earning her degree in architecture.

In 1946, she married Hans Knoll, founder of the Hans G. Knoll Furniture Company. The company then became Knoll Associates, Inc. and quickly established itself as a central player in modern design in the United States.

Architect, interior planner and furniture designer Florence Knoll played a decisive role in defining modern corporate design in America in the 1950s. She helped turn American modernism into an international language, developing a rational, architectural approach to interior design based on clarity of volume, functionality and coherence between architecture, furniture and textiles.

Her interiors, characterized by open, light-filled spaces, rigorously structured furniture, elegant fabrics, and layouts favoring informal exchange, profoundly influenced post-war design. This clean, functional aesthetic positioned Knoll among the most influential companies of its time.

Her iconic projects include the interior design of the CBS offices, the Seagram Building, and Look magazine in New York. After her husband’s death, Florence Knoll became president of Knoll Associates and remained its artistic director until 1965, before leaving the company to pursue a career as an independent designer.