Risom Child's Side Chair by Knoll

Knoll History

The Knoll Company was founded in 1938 in New York by furniture craftsman Hans Knoll, who aspired to produce modern furniture that would be elegant, functional and affordable. In 1946, he married designer Florence Schust, who had been trained as an architect, and who would ultimately be recognized as one of the most influential women in 20th century design. She played a key role in the company's development, championing the Bauhaus approach and recruiting some of its most famous luminaries, such as Mies van der Rohe, Eero Saarinen and Marcel Breur, resulting in Knoll becoming the only authorized seller of the some of the world’s most revered mid-century furniture designs.

Beginning in the 1940s, Knoll pioneered the concept of developing a working relationship with corporate clients and designing to meet their needs. In the ensuing decades, Knoll introduced tables to accommodate electronic technology, and office chairs with a fresh premise: rather than the sitter constantly adjusting the chair, the chair would adjust to the sitter! The result of this approach was a line of innovative office chairs combining ergonomic support with intuitive adaptability. Today, in addition to acclaim as a design leader, Knoll is also recognized for pioneering sustainable, “green” design policies designed to protect the biosphere.

In recognition of Knoll's contributions, the Louvre's Musée des Arts Decoratifs in Paris staged a 1972 exhibit devoted solely to the company's furniture. Knoll also currently has more than 40 pieces in the permanent Design Collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York.