Bel meetings

Designers
& architects

Florence Knoll

In May 2017, Florence Knoll celebrated her 100th birthday. The eponymous company she developed with her husband Hans since 1943—and beyond his death in 1955—has not aged a day.

Orphaned at 12, she joined the Cranbrook Academy of Art under Eliel Saarinen, becoming something of a protégé. There she honed her eye and her graphite pencil, showing precocious intuition in architecture and design.

In just fifteen years, her company produced 10 to 12 of the most iconic pieces of 20th-century contemporary furniture, including Eero Saarinen’s Tulip Chair and Harry Bertoia’s Diamond Chair. Also a designer, she created remarkable pieces to expand the Knoll range, such as the timeless 1206 sofa in 1954.

Through her holistic approach to design, she single-handedly advanced the discipline. She effectively conceptualized corporate design by developing the Planning Unit at Knoll—intelligent marketing, multiple showrooms, and targeted outreach to top economic clients.

By equipping sites like Rockefeller Center, IBM, and CBS, Florence Knoll became the empress of design, skillfully riding the prosperity of the fifties and securing Knoll International’s enduring reputation.

The Bouroullec Brothers