Florence Knoll Bench

Despite being what Florence Knoll modestly referred to as a “fill-in piece,” the Florence Knoll Bench now stands as a defining example of modern design. Consistent with all of her designs, the bench has a spare, geometric profile that reflects the objective perfectionism and rational design approach Florence Knoll learned from her mentor, Mies van der Rohe.Florence Knoll always approached furniture design with the larger space in mind. Most important to her was how a piece fit into the overall environment—the room, the floor, the building. And while she never regarded herself as a furniture designer, her quest for harmony of space and consistency of design led her to design several of Knoll’s most iconic pieces—all simple, none plain. Her lounge collection, designed in 1954, is a perfect example of her restrained, geometric, architectural approach to furniture.