Large German Modular Sofa by Walter Knoll
About the Item
- Creator:Walter Knoll (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 36 in (91.44 cm)Width: 121 in (307.34 cm)Depth: 61 in (154.94 cm)Seat Height: 15 in (38.1 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:
Walter Knoll
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Los Angeles, CA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- George Nelson Modular Sofa by Herman Miller, 1966By Herman MillerLocated in Los Angeles, CAGeorge Nelson modular sofa by Herman Miller, 1966.Category
20th Century American Sofas
MaterialsChrome
- Colorful Mario Bellini Four -Seat Leather Sectional Sofa, 1970'sBy Mario BelliniLocated in Los Angeles, CAColorful four-seat leather sectional sofa made by Mario Bellini in the 1970's. Each removable seat stands out by its unique colors including hot orange, dark turquoise, honey yellow,...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Sectional Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- Large Italian Slight Curve Sofa Newly Upholstery, 1950sLocated in Los Angeles, CALarge Italian slight curve sofa newly upholstery, 1950s.Category
20th Century Italian Sofas
MaterialsFabric
- Modernist Sofa by Vladimir KaganBy Vladimir KaganLocated in Los Angeles, CAModernist sofa upholstered in off white boucle fabric by Vladimir Kagan. USA, circa 1980s. Dimensions: 31"H x 122"W x 54"D x 19"SH.Category
Vintage 1980s American Sofas
MaterialsBouclé
- Burgundy Leather Sofa by Pacific GreenBy Pacific GreenLocated in Los Angeles, CAVersatile and stylish burgundy leather sofa by Pacific Green. The leather has been newly reconditioned and the back of the frame is wrapped around palm wood ribs. From Pacific Green ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Australian Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Palmwood
- Stylish Modern Striped SofaLocated in Los Angeles, CALow back sofa couch with stripes.Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Sofas
MaterialsFabric
- Mid-Century Modular Sofa by Friedrich Hill for Walter KnollBy Walter Knoll, Brayton InternationalLocated in Raleigh, NCOriginal leather six piece modular sofa. This Plus 144 model sofa was designed by Friedrich Hill for the Walter Knoll Collection and produced b...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Fabric, Foam
- Pair of Two Black Leather Modular Sofa Chairs by Walter Knoll, Germany, 1970sBy Walter KnollLocated in Praha, CZ- Germany, around 1970s - Good original condition with patina - Made of leather - marked by manufacturer jr.Category
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- Hug Modular Sofa by CollectorLocated in Geneve, CHHug modular sofa by Collector. Dimensions: W 330 x D 160 x H 74 cm. DX terminal element Gap module: W 180 x D 98 cm x H 74. Chaise longue XL module...Category
2010s Portuguese Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Oak
- Hug Modular Sofa by CollectorLocated in Geneve, CHHug modular sofa by Collector Dimensions: W 330 x D 160 x H 74 cm. DX terminal element gap module: W 180 x D 98 cm x H 74. Chaise longue XL module:...Category
2010s Portuguese Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Oak
- Hug Modular Sofa by CollectorLocated in Geneve, CHHug modular sofa by Collector Dimensions: W 330 x D 160 x H 74 cm. DX Terminal Element Gap module: W 180 x D 98 cm x H 74. Chaise Longue XL module:...Category
2010s Portuguese Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Oak
- Hug Modular Sofa by CollectorLocated in Geneve, CHHug modular sofa by Collector Dimensions: W 330 x D 160 x H 74 cm. DX terminal element gap module: W 180 x D 98 cm x H 74. Chaise Longue XL module:...Category
2010s Portuguese Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Oak