Warren Platner for Knoll Dining Chairs, Set of Four
View Similar Items
Warren Platner for Knoll Dining Chairs, Set of Four
About the Item
- Creator:Knoll (Manufacturer),Warren Platner (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 30 in (76.2 cm)Width: 26 in (66.04 cm)Depth: 22 in (55.88 cm)Seat Height: 18 in (45.72 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 4
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1968
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:BROOKLYN, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU179328507093
Warren Platner
Though his vintage furniture and interiors are icons of mid-century modernism, architect and furniture designer Warren Platner took his stylistic inspiration from as far back as 18th-century France, once saying about his seminal collection for Knoll that his design intent was to evoke “the kind of decorative, gentle, graceful kind of design that appeared in period style like Louis XV.”
Indeed, the marriage of modern sensibility and classical grace is a marker of Platner’s style across furnishings and interiors — both genres in which he left an enduring legacy.
Born in 1919 in Baltimore, Maryland, Platner studied architecture at Cornell before cutting his teeth working for design icons like Eero Saarinen and Kevin Roche, eventually serving as head of interior design in the latter’s office. In 1965, Platner opened his own office, in Greenwich, Connecticut, where he continued to hone his particular brand of graceful modernism.
Knoll released the Platner Collection of seating and tables in 1966. (Originally designed in 1962, the suite took nearly four years of development to bring to life.) The decorative bent-metal-and-glass pieces — an armchair, a dining table and more — make certain nods to the trademarks of his former employers, but also to the shapes of historic European furniture. The sculptural elegance of his line recalls Saarinen’s iconic Tulip collection, which includes armchairs and dining tables, while his materiality aligns with Roche’s cutting-edge use of glass and metal for the headquarters of the Ford Foundation in New York.
Many of Platner’s Knoll pieces would go on to find homes in a certain fabled locale: the Windows on the World restaurant at the original World Trade Center, whose interiors Platner was tapped to outfit in the mid-1970s. Upon the opening of the restaurant in 1976, New York Times architecture critic Paul Goldberger dubbed its style “sensuous modernism” — an apt tagline for Platner’s oeuvre as a whole.
Platner died in 2006 at the age of 86. His furniture is still produced by Knoll, and original examples — along with idiosyncratic custom works he created for interior design clients — are coveted by collectors today.
Find vintage Warren Platner furniture on 1stDibs.
Knoll
As a company that produced many of the most famous and iconic furniture designs of the 20th century, Knoll was a chief influence in the rise of modern design in the United States. Led by Florence Knoll, the firm would draw stellar talents such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Eero Saarinen into its compass. Their work would help change the face of the American home and office.
The company was formed in 1938 by the German immigrant Hans Knoll. He first worked with his fellow ex-pat, the Danish designer Jens Risom, who created furniture with flowing lines made of wood. While Risom served in World War II, in 1943 Knoll met his future wife, Florence Schust. She had studied and worked with eminent emigré leaders of the Bauhaus, including Mies, Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer. She won Knoll over with Bauhaus notions of industrial arts, and an aesthetic that featured flat and tubular metal frames and angular forms. When Hans died in a car crash in 1955, Florence Knoll was appointed head of the company. It was as much through her holistic approach to design — a core division of the firm was dedicated to planning office systems — as Knoll's mid-century modern furnishings themselves that she brought about the sleek and efficient transformation of the American workplace.
Today, classic Knoll furnishings remain staples of modern design collections and decor. A history of modern design is written in pieces such as the elegant Barcelona chair — created by Mies and Lilly Reich — Saarinen’s pedestal Tulip chair, Breuer’s tubular steel Wassily lounge chair and the grid-patterned Diamond chair by Harry Bertoia.
As you can see from the collection of these designs and other vintage Knoll dining chairs, sofas and tables on 1stDibs, this manufacturer's offerings have become timeless emblems of the progressive spirit and sleek sophistication of the best of modernism.
- Authentic Mint Set of Four Midcentury Knoll Brno Chairs by Mies van der RoheBy Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, KnollLocated in BROOKLYN, NYSpecial order red leather chairs upholstered by Knoll. Beautiful showing very little use.Category
1990s North American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsChrome
- Mid-Century Knoll Spoleto Chairs 1970s Set of 4By Knoll, Marcel BreuerLocated in BROOKLYN, NYKnoll Spoleto chairs. Marcel Breuer designed the B33 chair in 1927, it is based on the cantilever principle (cantilevered), in the same spirit as t...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsChrome
$4,250 / set - Donald Knorr Chair for Knoll Associates, 1948By Knoll, Donald KnorrLocated in BROOKLYN, NYFor your consideration to of six Knorr chairs. Comprised of sheet metal bolted to steel rod legs. This chair is exceptionally rare (a set of six in simply unheard of) Model #132 cha...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsMetal
$2,999 / item - Rare Midcentury Scandinavian Dining Chairs Set of FourBy GemlaLocated in BROOKLYN, NYBeautiful sexy of 4 chairs boy Gemla Sweden. Warm patina throughout. They sit wonderfully stacked as a space saving feature. Sculpted black lacquered seats are as comfortable as they are beautiful to look at. Sold as a set of four. Local pickup...Category
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Chairs
MaterialsWood, Lacquer
- Superb Midcentury Set of Four Dining Chairs Greta Magnusson GrossmanBy Glenn of California, Gio Ponti, Pierre Chapo, Greta Magnusson GrossmanLocated in BROOKLYN, NYSpectacular set of four dining chairs by Greta Magnusson Grossman. She received the Good Design award from the Museum of Modern Art, New York for this chair design and we can see why...Category
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Walnut
- Mid-Century Modern Charles Pollock Executive Chair for Knoll in Black LeatherBy Knoll, Charles PollockLocated in BROOKLYN, NY(1) Charles Pollock chair for Knoll featuring a chrome frame with black leather Upholstery. Pollock chairs are icons of Mid-Century Modern design. Pollock revolutionized office seating with the introduction of this chair in the 1960s. The chair has proven so popular that it is still manufactured by Knoll to this day. This chair is from the Mid 1990s. No missing buttons and the leather is soft and supple. Has height adjustment (manual). 5 Star base...Category
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsChrome
$900 Sale Price25% Off
- Warren Platner for Knoll Mid Century Dining Chairs - Set of 4By Warren Platner, KnollLocated in Countryside, ILWarren Platner for Knoll Mid Century Dining Chairs - Set of 4 Each chair measures: 28.25 wide x 22 deep x 29.5 high, with a seat height of 19 and arm height/chair clearance 25 inche...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Vintage Warren Platner Arm Chairs, Set of Six for KnollBy Warren Platner, KnollLocated in Lambertville, NJA stunning example of the 1966 Warren Platner arm chair for Knoll, these chairs are timeless and integrate beautifully with many style tables. They f...Category
Vintage 1980s Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Set of Six Dining Chairs Designed by Warren Platner for Knoll, 20th CenturyBy Warren Platner, KnollLocated in Hamburg, PAAn exquisite set of six dining chairs designed by Warren Platner for Knoll. These iconic dining room chairs would look great in any Contemporary, Transitional, or Traditional interio...Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Warren Platner Dining Chairs Set of 4By Warren PlatnerLocated in London, GBAmerican architect and interior designer Warren Platner was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1919. Platner attended Cornell University, graduating with a degree in architecture in 1941...Category
Vintage 1960s North American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel
$10,164 / set - Set of Four Chairs and Dining Table by Warren PlatnerBy Warren PlatnerLocated in Los Angeles, CABeautiful table by Warren Platner, New York, New York, 1979. Platner Collection dining table Model 3716T, with chrome-plated steel and off-white marble top.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Sets
MaterialsMarble, Chrome
- Set of 6 Chairs by Warren Platner, Knoll International, 1970sBy Warren PlatnerLocated in Berlin, BerlinSet of 6 armchairs designed by Warren Platner. U.S.A., Knoll International, 1966. Wonderful vintage set of six chairs in polished nickel with turquoise backs and seat cushions. An...Category
Vintage 1970s American Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsMetal
Sold$19,110 / set