Florence Knoll Parallel Bar Three Seat Armless Sofa
View Similar Items
Florence Knoll Parallel Bar Three Seat Armless Sofa
About the Item
- Creator:Knoll (Manufacturer),Florence Knoll (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 32 in (81.28 cm)Width: 89 in (226.06 cm)Depth: 29.25 in (74.3 cm)Seat Height: 16.5 in (41.91 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Kansas City, MO
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU105703122692
Florence Knoll
Architect, furniture designer, interior designer, entrepreneur — Florence Knoll had a subtle but profound influence on the course of mid-century American modernism. Dedicated to functionality and organization, and never flamboyant, Knoll shaped the ethos of the postwar business world with her polished, efficient design and skillfully realized office plans.
Knoll had perhaps the most thorough design education of any of her peers. Florence Schust was orphaned at age 12, and her guardian sent her to Kingswood, a girl’s boarding school that is part of the Cranbrook Educational Community in suburban Detroit. Her interest in design brought her to the attention of Eliel Saarinen, the Finnish architect and head of the Cranbrook Academy of Art. Saarinen and his wife took the talented child under their wing, and she became close to their son, the future architect Eero Saarinen. While a student at the academy, Florence befriended artist-designer Harry Bertoia and Charles and Ray Eames. Later, she studied under three of the Bauhaus masters who emigrated to the United States. She worked as an apprentice in the Boston architectural offices of Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer; Ludwig Mies van der Rohe taught her at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
In 1941, she met Hans Knoll, whose eponymous furniture company was just getting off the ground. They married in 1946, and her design sense and his business skills soon made Knoll Inc. a leading firm in its field. Florence signed up the younger Saarinen as a designer, and would develop pieces by Bertoia, Mies and the artist Isamu Noguchi. Her main work came as head of the Knoll Planning Group, designing custom office interiors for clients such as IBM and CBS. The furniture Florence created for these spaces reflects her Bauhaus training: the pieces are pure functional design, exactingly built; their only ornament from the materials, such as wood and marble. Her innovations — the oval conference table, for example, conceived as a way to ensure clear sightlines among all seated at a meeting — were always in the service of practicality.
Since her retirement in 1965, Knoll received the National Medal of Arts, among other awards; in 2004 the Philadelphia Museum of Art mounted the exhibition “Florence Knoll: Defining Modern” — well deserved accolades for a strong, successful design and business pioneer. As demonstrated on these pages, the simplicity of Knoll’s furniture is her work’s great virtue: they fit into any interior design scheme.
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.
- Robert Venturi Grandma Sofa in the Original Tan / Taupe Leather for Knoll.By Robert Venturi, KnollLocated in Kansas City, MOA single Robert Venturi matching leather Grandma Sofa manufactured by Knoll, 1980s. Very good original condition. No tears or scuffs to the leather. Light signs of use. Minimal hone...Category
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- Florence Knoll Coffee Table, White Laminate, Black Steel FrameBy Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in Kansas City, MOSigned Florence Knoll cocktail table. Original white laminate and lacquered steel legs and frame. Very heavy duty construction and super durable.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsSteel
- Eastside Sofa by Ettore Sottsass for Knoll, 1980s, All Original, Ready to UseBy Knoll, Ettore SottsassLocated in Kansas City, MOEastside Sofa by Ettore Sottsass and manufactured by Knoll, 1980s. Original black leather and gray and black patterned fabric. Aluminum and steel base co...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Upholstery
- Three-Seat Sofa by Russell Wright, Black Frame and Light Grey-Silver FabricBy Russel Wright, Conant BallLocated in Kansas City, MORussel Wright for Conant Ball sofa. Black lacquered wood frame and newly upholstered in a beautiful light grey or sliver fabric.Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsWood
- Wall-Mounted Rosewood Cabinets by Florence Knoll, Excellent Condition, PairBy Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in Kansas City, MOTwo rosewood wall mount storage cabinets or credenzas designed by Florence Knoll for Knoll. Early production in Brazilian rosewood with whit...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood, Wood
- Carrara Marble and Chrome Coffee Table in the Style of Florence KnollBy Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in Kansas City, MO36 inch square Carrara marble and chrome coffee table in the style of Florence Knoll. White marble with gray and beige veining. No chips or significant scratches. The chrome is free ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsMarble, Chrome
- Florence Knoll Parallel Bar Sofa for KnollBy Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in Philadelphia, PAFlorence Knoll Parallel Bar Armed Sofa. Newly reupholstered in a great weave fabric in shades of red, gray and purple. Very solid and subst...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsStainless Steel, Metal
$4,640 Sale Price38% Off - 1958 Florence Knoll Parallel Bar Three Seat Sofa, Model 57 in Green FabricBy Knoll, Florence KnollLocated in Philadelphia, PAThis is an extremely early Florence Knoll ‘Parallel Bar’ Sofa, Model 57, designed by Florence Knoll in 1958. It is a rare example of Florence K...Category
Vintage 1950s American Modern Sofas
MaterialsSteel
- Florence Knoll Three-Seat SofaBy Knoll, Florence KnollLocated in Chicago, ILFlorence Knoll Three-Seat Sofa reupholstered with Great Plains "Teddy" warm silver heavy boucle made of alpaca, and wool. Solid maple-turned tapered legs.Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsBouclé, Maple
- Parallel Bar Sofas By Florence KnollBy Florence KnollLocated in Sagaponack, NYA "parallel bar" frame sofa with a button tufted back on chromed steel legs.Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsSteel
$9,500 / item - Florence Knoll, Sofa "Parallel Bar" for Knoll, 1954 / 1960. Newly upholstered.By Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in Paris, FRLovely Two seat sofa model 52 also known as ‘Parallel Bar’ designed by Florence Knoll in 1954 and produced by Knoll International from 1955 to 1973 This sofa is an edition from the v...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsSteel, Chrome, Metal
- Mid century Florence Knoll Sofa #57 Parallel Bar System - needs upholsteryBy Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in BROOKLYN, NYVintage circa 1960 Midcentury Florence Knoll Parallel Bar System sofa Model #57 three-seat sofa with arms. Designed by Florence Knoll for Knoll Int. USA. Solid Steel frame and is in ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsSteel
$2,520 Sale Price30% Off
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
10 Trailblazing Female Designers
From pioneering visionaries to contemporary talents, get to know some of the most important women in design.
Remembering Design Visionary Florence Knoll Bassett (1917-2019)
A loving look back at the life and career of a doyenne of mid-century-modern style, who died last week at the age of 101.