Knoll, a recognized leader in design since 1938, welcomes visitors to its new Gramercy location this month. Reflecting core principles of Knoll design and underscoring a bold new direction for Knoll environments, the showroom is a continuation of the brand’s recently refreshed environments in London, Chicago, and Dallas, with Total Design at the forefront: considering the greater context and how furniture relates to interiors and interiors relate to architecture. A focus on bringing the Knoll midtown history downtown is achieved through the incorporation of materials including steel and glass.
Designed by London-based architect Pernilla Ohrstedt and material and color expert Salem van der Swaagh, the New York space features residential and workplace spaces with CMF at the forefront.
“The retail space is planned as a residence and the workplace floor is planned as an office, but the same level of rigor, elevated colors, materials and finishes, and architectural purity is carried across all Knoll interiors,” commented Jonathan Olivares, Senior VP of Design, Knoll.
Intersecting planes of metal curtains mixed with solid color primary fabrics deliver drama and elegance, while also creating a flexible sequence of spaces. This delineation technique is also a nod to Florence Knoll’s design legacy, and how she strikingly divided showrooms. For example, in the San Francisco showroom designed in the 1950s, primary color panels were used in lieu of walls and various textures and materials were positioned throughout, highlighting the relationship between color, material, and form. At the new Park Avenue South showroom, curtains also bring in nature, allowing light to come in from the gorgeous arched windows and framing the views of the adjacent scenes – creating an enticing experience.
Artworks in dialogue with the Knoll portfolio of products live throughout the space, including works by Harry Bertoia, Willy Reed, and Jonathan Muecke.
Noteworthy Products at 251 Park Avenue South include:
- Morrison Hannah Chair – A contemporary revival of the office chair designed by Andrew Morrison and Bruce Hannah that translates seamlessly into today’s hybrid work environments. It delivers comfort without fuss, with intuitive adjustments and updated holistic ergonomics. Available in a remastered palette of material options, designers can tailor the chair to suit any space.
- Perron Pillo Sofa – An unexpected form – seemingly, a stack of oversized pillows – that offers all-encompassing comfort, designed in collaboration with contemporary multidisciplinary designer Willo Perron.
- New Colors for Bauhaus Era Collections – Ultra-matte white, onyx, and archival dark red finishes for iconic designs including the MR Chair and MR Tables by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and for the Wassily Chair, Cesca Chairs and Stools, and Laccio Tables by Marcel Breuer.
- Florence Knoll™ Model 31 and Model 33 – Lightweight, strong, and stylish, this archival lounge chair and sofa embody Florence Knoll’s signature rigor and simplicity.
- Cove Collection by Knoll™ – A beautifully minimalist collection for private offices that can be scaled to meet the needs of a wide range of workspaces.
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