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, \nupper-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.
