For his latest collaboration with Knoll, Italian architect Antonio Citterio was inspired by classical Greek culture and historical designs from the 20th century.
Launched during Salone del Mobile 2022, the ‘Klismos’ collection of seats – comprising dining and lounge chairs, a bench, a sofa and a stool – uses archetypal designs as a starting point to create a contemporary, dynamic form. A series of tables comprises large and small models as well as a console, whose essential metal structure nods to Mies van der Rohe’s works.
Citterio was interested in the plurality and depth of TH Robsjohn-Gibbins’ design work, which he used as a starting point for the pieces. ‘What interests me the most of Robsjohn-Gibbins’ work is one of the typologies of sofas he designed: a daybed inspired by the ancient Roman “triclinium”,’ he explains. ‘However, there’s no intention of Robsjohn-Gibbins’ revival in my project for Knoll: if Robsjohn-Gibbins’ daybed and chair are defined by very solid lines, this collection is characterised by a very dynamic shape for the seats, with the supporting elements in wood slender and lightened, combined to the seat elements, the light leather cushions, and the armrests in a game of curves and counter-curves.’
The ‘Klismos’ collection features natural cotton cord woven on slender oak wood structures, with full wood options as well as cushions available for the back. The chairs’ design is further developed into a symmetrical sofa, reminiscent of the classic récamier and featuring the same material palette. The use of wood is rare in Knoll collections, so for Citterio, this material forms the most distinctive trait of the series he designed.
The tables, the architect explains, follow Mies van der Rohe’s idea of
less is more, their essential steel structure supporting marble or glass tops.
‘I always try to design pieces that are timeless,’ says Citterio. ‘For Knoll, the references to tradition are present but impalpable, almost subliminal, and in any case, they all combine to create the idea of
elegant and – at the same time – welcoming pieces of furniture.’
INFORMATION
Knoll will be at Salone del Mobile 2022, Hall 20 - Stand D05 E10, 7-12 June 2022
knoll.com
-
In the frame: Layer is a new high-tech platform for displaying unique pieces of generative artA museum-grade canvas renders digital art with spectacular precision, cutting-edge tech and exacting industrial design
-
Chrome tableware to make your dining setup shineOnce a hallmark of industrial and midcentury design, chrome is shining once again. The latest expression? Metallic dinner-, drink- and serveware that embody sophistication
-
Serenity radiates through this Mexican home, set between two ravinesOn the cusp of a lakeside town, Mexican home Casa el Espino is a single-storey residence by Soler Orozco Arquitectos (SOA)
-
Johnston Marklee’s sofa for Knoll offers chubby chic1970s design icons, Bibendum, and macaroni were on architects Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee's minds while designing the ‘Biboni’ sofa for Knoll
-
Flexform’s ‘Loungescape’ modular sofa is furniture as topographic wonderShape a new domestic landscape with Antonio Citterio’s latest seating system for the Italian furniture company
-
Tectonic modernity makes for fine dining furniture from KnollThe new ‘Muecke Wood Collection’ by architect Jonathan Muecke for Knoll brings artistry to the table
-
Knoll reissues two Florence Knoll furniture designs from 1954Florence Knoll’s ‘Model 31’, a lounge chair, and ‘Model 33’, a small sofa, are brought out of the archives in tribute to the all-around American design legend
-
Piero Lissoni's sinuous furniture for Knoll turns film starKnoll and Piero Lissoni present a new film celebrating the Italian designer's KN collection: the short film puts a playful new spin on the furniture collaboration
-
Antonio Citterio reflects on his work with Flexform, and conceiving a sofa as the heart of the homeAntonio Citterio designed the Groundpiece sofa for Flexform in 2001: twenty years on, we chart the architect's history of collaboration with the Italian furniture company, and discover his view on redefining domestic interiors
-
Antonio Citterio unveils ingenious furniture designs for MaxaltoAntonio Citterio on his Heritage Perspectives furniture designs for Maxalto, presented in a luxurious apartment setting
-
Design in the words of Antonio CitterioPresenting his new furniture collection for Flexform, Antonio Citterio delves into the relationship between design and craftsmanship, and designing for real homes
