Florence Knoll (1917–2019): A Retrospective
HIGH STANDARDS AND HARD WORK ELEVATED THE KNOLL AESTHETIC BEYOND TRENDS TO TRANSCENDENCE.
By Sarah L. Yoon
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ILAN RUBIN
Photography courtesy of the Knoll Archive
Florence Knoll, née Schust, shot to the top of the 1940s design industry, breaking through glass ceilings and other workplace restrictions of the time with relentless drive. She managed a company, lifted aesthetic standards and infused her beautiful designs with architectural precision.
GETTING STARTED
Florence, called “Shu” (a childhood nickname), by colleagues and others closest to her, was born in 1917 and orphaned in 1929. She went to art and architecture schools, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1941.