IDSA mourns the loss of Florence Knoll Bassett, H/IDSA, a hugely influential design pioneer and guiding light of Knoll, who died on January 25, 2019 in Coral Gables, Florida. She was 101 years old.
Knoll Bassett has been an Honorary IDSA member for over 30 years in recognition for her considerable contributions to architecture, furniture design, and open-office planning.
As the driving force behind the development of the Knoll furniture brand, and the founder of the company’s ground-breaking Planning Unit, Knoll Bassett is considered one of the most influential figures in 20th century design.
Today, the Knoll Planning Unit, which set the standard for the mid-century Modern interior, is widely recognized as groundbreaking. The Knoll Planning Unit provided a uniquely efficient and “total design” approach, and Knoll Bassett further distinguished herself during this period as an influential woman in a male-dominated industry. Her meticulous methods of assessing a client’s needs and patterns of use were prized by the most prominent corporate clients of that period, including CBS, GM, and IBM.
She developed many of the company’s design classics, and also commissioned iconic pieces from designers such as Eero Saarinen, Harry Bertoia, and Isamu Noguchi.
Read more about Knoll Bassett’s life and legacy at Knoll.com, the New York Times, Dezeen, Artsy. and Wallpaper*.