Warren Platner Conference Desk by Knoll International 1973
View Similar Items
Warren Platner Conference Desk by Knoll International 1973
About the Item
- Creator:Warren Platner (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.93 in (76 cm)Width: 78.75 in (200 cm)Depth: 43.31 in (110 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1973
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Roosendaal, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU9330785935
Warren Platner
Though vintage Warren Platner chairs, sofas and interiors are icons of mid-century modernism, the architect and furniture designer 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.
- Willy Van Der Meeren Desk by Tubax Belgium 1955By Willy Van Der Meeren, TubaxLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantNice Industrial desk designed by Willy Van Der Meeren and manufactured by Tubax, Belgium 1955. This typical fifties Industrial desk has a very nice Industrial look with the black metal folded v structure...Category
Vintage 1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsMetal
- Jorge Zalszupin Folding Desk by L'atelier Brazil 1959By Jorge ZalszupinLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantFolding desk designed by Jorge Zalszupin and manufactured by his own company L’Atelier, Brazil 1959. As Zalszupin gained more and more momentum with his practice during the early and...Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsFaux Leather, Rosewood
- Sculptural Postmodern Desk by Tidis Belgium, 1980Located in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantHighly extraordinary postmodern desk designed and manufactured by unknown artist called Tidis, Belgium 1980s. This sculptural desk has high quality features and extraordinary woodwor...Category
Vintage 1980s Belgian Post-Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsStone
- A.R.P. Writing Desk Edition Minvielle France, 1955Located in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantRare and collectible desk designed by A.R.P. (Atelier de Recherches Plastiques) and manufactured by Minvielle, France 1955. Studio A.R.P. was an association between three talented de...Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsSteel
- Laminated boomerang desk made in Italy 1950sBy Gio PontiLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantStep back into the iconic Italian style of the 1950s with this Ponti-inspired asymmetrical boomerang desk. The desk’s plywood top features a high gloss laminated finish with coloured abstract shapes in shades of red, gold, anthracite and light blue, it adds a vibrant pop of personality to your workspace. The top is supported by slim metal legs with brass feet creating a light and airy feel in any space. The desk has a timeless elegance and will give any room a playful appearance. A great representation of Italy in the fifties. The desk is in original and in very good condition. The Gio Ponti Super...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Giovanni Battista Bassi Asymmetrical writing desk Italy 1950By Giovanni BassiLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantBeautiful a-symmetrical writing desk-table designed by Giovanni Battista Bassi and made in Italy in 1950. This one of a kind piece was created for a project in Florence. It's made fr...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsHardwood
- Knoll International Complete Office Warren Platner Desk and SideboardsBy Warren PlatnerLocated in Köln, NRWKnoll International complete office by Warren Platner desk + sideboards Desk: frame steel columns with special cast iron foot brackets chrome-plated...Category
Antique Mid-19th Century European Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsMetal
Unavailable$15,280 / set - 1970s Executive Office Desk by Warren Platner for KnollBy Knoll, Warren PlatnerLocated in Sagaponack, NYAn inset leather top executive desk over cantilevered chrome plate steel legs with accompanying six (6) door leather wall mounted storage unit. ( 10...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsLeather
- Warren Platner for Knoll Executive Desk with Black Leather TopBy Knoll, Warren PlatnerLocated in Waalwijk, NLWarren Platner for Knoll, desk, leather, steel, oak, United States, 1973 This heavy, sturdy desk is designed by the American modernist Warren Platner. He is most known for his airy ...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsSteel
- Warren Platner for Knoll Writing Desk in Cherry and Black LeatherBy Knoll, Warren PlatnerLocated in Waalwijk, NLWarren Platner for Knoll, writing desk, cherry, chrome-plated metal, black leather, United States, 1970s. This writing table with two drawers and an extendable panel...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsMetal, Chrome
- Mid-century American Desk in Zebra Wood By Warren PlatnerBy Warren PlatnerLocated in Houston, TXDesk is made out of zebra wood. Table top is reupholstered with brown cowhide. There is wide drawer for files on the left side and smaller drawer on the right. Desk is elevated by wi...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Warren Platner Writing Desk with Black Leather TopBy Knoll, Warren PlatnerLocated in Waalwijk, NLWarren Platner for Knoll, writing desk, leather, metal, oak, United States, design 1973 This heavy, sturdy desk is designed by the American modernist Warren Platner. He is most know...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsMetal
