POST 09: Modernism in America Part II

A knoll showroom in the 50s.

During the 1950s and the 1960s, we see a new style emerging, after the end of World War II, that revolutionizes Modernism. Mid- Century Modernism, due to its new aesthetics in architecture with its flat roofs, bi- level structures, the plays between indoor and outdoor, the use of earthy colors and the new materials that changes the furnishing game, it still has an impact today on how we do architecture, interior design and furniture design here in America and throughout the world.
The style that emerged is timeless because its ideas still live today.

It seemed that the Mid- Century Modernism focused more on the furnishing aspect of design and not really in architecture. Through this chapter, we see the establishment and development of the Knoll Company that was founded by a couple named Hans and Florence Knoll in New York in 1938. The design firm that still exist today and still is successful offers till now office systems, furniture, textiles and commercial accessories.
What is great about this company is that it seems that this couple knew that working environments also needed to be taken care of by offering products that could make the space enjoyable for the workers. Knoll collaborated with celebrated architects and designers when it came to products such as Mies Van der Rohe with the Barcelona Chair. The German architect actually mentored Florence Knoll when she was young and has always credited Mies as her most influential instructor. And "
in 1948, Mies granted Knoll exclusive rights to produce his furniture, including the Barcelona collection, the Brno chair, and MR series".
Mid Century Colour Palette. Most of this colours were seen on modern furniture…
Mid- Century colours by Knoll.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Barcelona, Model No. MR90 (1929)
The Barcelona chair.


Many furniture designers were recognized in what they were doing such as Eero Saarinen, Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson and Isamu Noguchi. In fact, Eero Saarinen and Isamu Noguchi collaborated with the Knoll Company as well.

Fauteuil Tulipe
The Tulip chair by Saarinen.
Current Applications:

Les meubles luxe contemporaine

MR Rattan Armless Side Chair
An updated version of the MR chair by Knoll.
ONE STEP FURTHER...

Isamu Noguchi (1904- 1988) was a Japanese American architect and a landscape architect as well a furniture designer. What is interesting about him is that, according to Knoll designer Bios, he was at first a pre-med student at Columbia University before he dropped his studies to pursue his art such as sculpting. He actually begun to sculpt portrait busts before designing products and fulfill his job as an architect. Not only did he design for Knoll, he also designed in collaboration with Zenith, Steuben Glassworks and Herman Miller.
Coffee
table designed for Herman Miller.

Isamu Noguchi at Work 4
The artist at work sculpting.



Comments

  1. Eunice Slanwa April 15, 2018 at 1:23 AM

    Martha, I agree with you that Mid-Century modernism seems more focused on the furnishing aspect of design and not really in architecture. I think this is what makes it so interesting, because designers used color and elegantly-designed furniture pieces to transform the plain, boring architecture of the interiors.

    ReplyDelete
  2. amberbuieApril 16, 2018 at 7:47 PM

    Martha,

    I'm glad you elaborated on Mid-Century modernism as well. I find it intriguing. Wouldn't design with it in full extent, but I enjoy the colors that came from it. Knoll is such a big name today still, we visited their showroom and it has changed drastically from the picture you have included. Isamu Noguchi's work also caught my eye with his seemingly never-interrupted art.

    ReplyDelete

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