Traditions and Visions

Back in the 1920s, two revolutionary systems, Antimott and Prodomo, were invented by Walter Knoll for upholstering furniture. These techniques replaced the traditional use of spiral springs, seaweed, and horsehair, and banished carpet moths from their ancestral habitat. The new, lightweight armchairs and sofas that employed the new technology were used in airships like the Hindenburg and the world’s first wide-bodied DoX aircraft, creating a new understanding of the whole typology. The Prodomo models are now considered the first modern upholstered furniture. This technical approach, utilising elastic steel band suspension, opened the way to the inexpensive mass production of upholstered furniture. Inspired by his visits to the U.S., Walter Knoll decided to leave his father’s company in the hands of his brother Willy and to found his own business. His ambition was to bring modernity from architecture into furniture. In 1927, Mies van der Rohe unveiled the Weissenhof Estate in Stuttgart, a famous series of dwelling units built by himself, Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius, and others. This served as the international showcase of what later became known as the International style of modern architecture. Walter Knoll furnished nine of the model flats. As from then, the company’s future route was clearly defined.

“Knoll set a course in every era”, Markus Benz says, summarising the long history of Walter Knoll. In the post-war area, when Germany was still full of rust-belt baroque furniture, the manufacturer promoted the modern way of living, with sharp-lined designs like the Vostra chair. In the 1970s, the contract division of the company was established, which furnished Berlin Tegel Airport. The Berlin Chair, designed by architect Meinhard von Gerkan, was specially created for its VIP lounge. The company’s tradition of working closely with architects has continued until today, with a network that links its headquarters in Germany to many countries worldwide. In notable architectural projects like the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, the Hearst Building in New York City, and the recently opened European Central Bank tower in Frankfurt, one can find the brand’s furniture. “It is exciting that furniture never stands alone”, Markus Benz reflects. “It always has a relationship with spaces and with people, with light, and many other aspects. This is what makes its use so complex.” In order to find optimum solutions, Walter Knoll often collaborates with international architects such as Norman Foster, Kengo Kuma, and Claudio Bellini. The list of those who have designed for Walter Knoll almost sounds like a who’s who of international design. All of them developed their projects together with the company’s craftsmen in Herrenberg. Since the founding of Wilhelm Knoll’s leather shop 150 years ago, the knowhow in handling leather has been a core characteristic of the manufacturer. “You can read from a skin just like from a book”, proclaims Uwe Steinman, leather expert at the company, emphasising the artisans’ strong collaboration with the tanners. To respect the natural material is also the intention of PearsonLloyd, the London-based designers who recently launched the Healey Lounge chair, combining softness and thickness, details and volume in their furniture concept. For its 150th anniversary, Walter Knoll has had a look back and rediscovered some of the icons that formed part of its history. The classic edition resulting from this research is a compilation of upholstered chairs from the 1940s to the 70s. Each has a different background concerning its design, but even though some of them seem retrospective from today’s viewpoint, they are all relevant in the history of Walter Knoll, as well as in the general history of design.