No Compromise: The Work of Florence Knoll

Florence Knoll (1917–2019) was a leading force of modern design. She

worked from 1945 to 1965 at Knoll Associates, first as business partner

with her husband Hans Knoll, later as president after his death, and,

finally, as design director. Her commissions became hallmarks of the

modern era, including the Barcelona Chair by Mies van der Rohe, the

Diamond Chair by Harry Bertoia, and the Platner Collection by Warren

Platner. A designer in her own right, she created classics like the

Parallel Bar Collection, which is still in production today.

Her

biggest influence came through her groundbreaking interiors and the

creation of the acclaimed "Knoll look." She invigorated the dry,

rational modernist International Style through humanizing textiles,

lighting, and accessories, inventing the visual language of the modern

office that remains a standard for interior design today. Although

Knoll's motto was "no compromise, ever," as a woman in a White,

upper-middle-class, male-dominated environment, she often had to make

accommodations to gain respect from her colleagues, clients, and

collaborators. No Compromise looks at Knoll's extraordinary career in close-up, from her student days to her professional accomplishments.

• Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press
• ISBN: 9781616899936
• Number of pages: 208
• Weight: 500g
• Dimensions: 236 x 162 x 28 mm