Inspired by the Bauhaus — founded in 1919 by Walter Gropius — Walter Knoll decided to bet big on modernism. He launched his eponymous German furniture maker in 1925, and the company has been going strong ever since.
Most design lovers are familiar with Knoll, the manufacturer of furniture by Eero Saarinen, Harry Bertoia, Marcel Breuer, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and other modernist giants. It was founded by Hans Knoll in 1941 and led after his death by his wife, Florence Knoll, the doyenne of postwar American office interiors. In recent years, the company has added collections by Maya Lin, Rem Koolhaas, Frank Gehry and David Adjaye, among others, and encouraged customers to do what some of them had been doing all along: use Knoll’s “office furniture” at home.
Fewer Americans are familiar with Walter Knoll, the company Hans’s father founded in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1925 and later moved to nearby Herrenberg. That company has existed in the shadow of the larger U.S.-based Knoll for decades.
Both companies descended from the German manufacturer of ornate leather goods established by Wilhelm Knoll in 1866. In 1907, Wilhelm’s sons, Willy and Walter, took over the father’s business and started producing leather club chairs. Five years later, the company introduced its Nestra line of stripped-down wood and leather seating, foreshadowing the family’s future innovations.
In 1925, when he was 50, Walter Knoll launched the Walter Knoll Company, which soon released the revolutionary Prodomo line of chairs, whose upholstered seats and backs are supported by tubular metal frames. Other lightweight Walter Knoll pieces were used in the passenger compartment of the Hindenburg zeppelin.
In 1927, Walter Knoll furnished five apartments designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for the Weissenhof Estate, 21 prototypes of “workers’ housing of the future” constructed as part of an exhibition in Stuttgart. A decade later, Walter’s son Hans, then 24, traveled to the United States to market his father’s furniture and to make a new life for himself in the New World. But inspired by his encounters with Jens Risom — a Danish-born designer who furthered Scandinavian modernism in the United States — Hans broke away from Walter, creating Knoll Associates (now known simply as Knoll). Florence Schust (later to become Hans’s wife) joined him in the company in 1943, and soon they were working with mid-century modern icons such as Saarinen and Bertoia on new designs and licensing Mies’s Barcelona chair.
After the war, with his factories destroyed and labor and materials in short supply, Walter Knoll turned to Hans for help. Hans sent over several pieces from his Vostra line, designed by Risom. Walter replaced the web seats with upholstery and launched his version of the Vostra at the New Living exhibition in Cologne in 1949. It became hugely successful, persuading many Germans still accustomed to traditional furniture to give modernism a go.
Walter Knoll retired in 1964, but his namesake firm continued growing in Germany. Just like the American Knoll, Walter Knoll has found that some customers want to use pieces originally meant as office furniture in their houses. In fact, these pieces give living and dining rooms a crispness that almost no residential furniture can match.
Find vintage Walter Knoll lounge chairs, sofas, tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Original Walter Knoll Piccolino Zweisitzer Wildleder Vintage Sofa
By Wilhelm Knoll, Walter Knoll
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten ein wunderschönes und äußerst seltenes Zweisitzer Sofa vom deutschen Premiumhersteller Walter Knoll aus dem Jahr 1981 zum Verkauf an. Das Modell wurde bekannt unter dem Na...
Suede
Minimalist Sofa, Rolf Grunow for Walter Knoll
By Walter Knoll
Located in Neuss, NW
Minimalist sofa by Rolf Grunow for Walter Knoll from the 1950s. High-quality wooden frame with tubular steel feet in black. The seat and backrest have been reupholstered and covered ...
Steel
Walter Knoll Konferenztisch rund Keypiece Design EOOS Bürotisch
By Walter Knoll, EOOS
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten einen wunderschönen und äußerst hochwertigen Design Besprechungstisch vom deutschen Premiumhersteller Walter Knoll zum Verkauf an. Der runde Tisch eignet sich ideal für Be...
Metal
2x Orignal Walter Knoll Sessel EOOS Stoff lila Design
By Walter Knoll, EOOS
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten einen von insgesamt zwei wunderschönen drehbaren Sesseln vom deutschen Premium Hersteller Walter Knoll zum Verkauf an. Der Entwurf stammt vom renommierten Design-Team EOOS...
Fabric
Tulip Lounge Chair by Preben Fabricius & Jørgen Kastholm for Walter Knoll FK6727
By Jørgen Kastholm & Preben Fabricius, Walter Knoll
Located in Berlin, DE
FK6727 Tulip Lounge Chair by Preben Fabricius & Jørgen Kastholm for Walter Knoll, 1990s An iconic armchair designed by renowned Danish designers Preben Fabricius and Jørgen Kastholm...
Leather
Office chair in Black Leather and Chrome Steel, “Tulip chair” Preben Fabricius.
By Jørgen Kastholm & Preben Fabricius, Walter Knoll
Located in JOINVILLE-LE-PONT, FR
Stunning Scandinavian armchair. Three-legged chromed steel frame, cowhide leather seat and back in excellent condition. This piece comes from the premises of the Fédération Internati...
Stainless Steel
Modern EOOS for Coalesse Joel Blue Swivel Lounge Chairs by Walter Knoll, a Pair
By EOOS, Coalesse, Walter Knoll
Located in Secaucus, NJ
Fabulous pair of Joel blue swivel lounge chairs by Walter Knoll. The modern beauty and smart design of the Joel lounge chair is a new take o...
Steel, Chrome
2003 Walter Knoll Art Collection Dining Arm Chairs in Black Leather 4x Available
By Walter Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
These are sophisticated modern 'Art Collection' armchairs, produced by Walter Knoll in Germany. These examples date to 2003. Their design features a sleek chromed-steel cantilever sl...
Steel
2003 Walter Knoll Art Collection Arm Dining Side Chairs in Steel & Grey Leather
By Walter Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
These are sophisticated modern Art Collection armchairs, produced by Walter Knoll in Germany. These examples date to 2003. The listed price includes one chair, and we have several ch...
Steel
Large German Modular Sofa by Walter Knoll
By Walter Knoll
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Large German modular sofa by Walter Knoll.
Fabric
Walter Knoll George Cantilever Stacking Chairs designed by EOOS in Black Leather
By Walter Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a single (chairs are sold individually but multiple chairs are available) ""George"" armchair, designed by EOOS of Vienna and produced by Walter Knoll. In the US, ...
Steel
2000 Walter Knoll Art Collection Dining Arm Chair in Chromed Steel and Leather
By Walter Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
These are sophisticated modern ‘Art Collection’ armchairs, produced by Walter Knoll in Germany. These examples date to 2000. The listed price includes one chair, and we have 6 ch...
Steel
Knoll Antimott Sofa Midcentury Couch Walter Wilhelm Knoll Ahorn
By Walter Knoll, Wilhelm Knoll, Knoll Antimott
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten ein wunderschönes Knoll Antimott Vintage Sofa aus den 1950er Jahren zum Verkauf an. Das Dreisitzer Sofa wurde professionell aufgearbeitet und verfügt über neue Bezüge in e...
Fabric, Maple
Rudolf B. Glatzel Vintage Walter Knoll Art Collection Leather & Stainless Chair
By Rudolf Bernd Glatzel, Walter Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is an original vintage 1970's Rudolf B. Glatzel armchair, produced by Walter Knoll in Germany (The company owned by Hans Knoll of Knoll International's family). This ...
Stainless Steel
2010s Lord Norman Foster for Walter Knoll Model 500 Leather Arm Lounge Chair
By Sir Norman Foster, Walter Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a very rare and unusual Walter Knoll 500 chair in black leather designed by Lord Norman Foster, the renowned British architect. Walter Kno...
Aluminum
2014 Bob Lounge/Side Swivel Chair by Pearson Lloyd for Coalesse / Walter Knoll
By Pearson Lloyd, Walter Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Bob Guest Swivel Chair, Model 231, designed by Luke Pearson and Tom Lloyd of Pearson Lloyd for Coalesse and Walter Knoll in 2014. The listed pri...
Aluminum
2003 Walter Knoll Art Collection Dining Side Arm Chairs in Steel & Brown Leather
By Walter Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
These are modern Art Collection armchairs, produced by Walter Knoll in Germany. These examples date to 2003 and came from a hedge fund in Manhattan. The listed price includes one cha...
Steel, Chrome
Lord Norman Foster Model 500 Black Leather 2 Seat Settee Sofa for Walter Knoll
By Walter Knoll, Sir Norman Foster
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a very rare and unusual Walter Knoll 500 settee in black leather, designed by Lord Norman Foster, the renowned British architect. Two sofa...
Steel
4x Knoll Antimott Sessel Midcentury Armlehnstuhl easy chair Vintage
By Wilhelm Knoll, Knoll Antimott, Walter Knoll
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten vier wunderschöne und professionell aufgearbeitete Midcentury Stühle von Knoll Antimott aus den 1950er/60er Jahren zum Verkauf an. Die Sessel wurden professionell aufgearb...
Fabric, Cherry