marc newson's aluminum chair for knoll honors the cantilevered chairs of mies van der rohe

during milan design week 2018, knoll celebrates its 80th anniversary with a new aluminum seat designed by marc newson. honoring the cantilevered chairs of mies van der rohe, newson’s design has been conceived as a forward-looking expression that ‘synthesizes simplicity, material, and precision’. the project reflects newson’s fascination with the space age, as well as his belief that, ‘design is about improving things and about looking to the future, pushing technology forward.’

newson’s design honors the cantilevered seating of mies van der rohe
image © designboom (also main image)

in developing the project, which is presented at the 57th salone del mobile in milan, marc newson and benjamin pardo, knoll design director, agreed that the new chair would honor the aesthetic principles that inform the existing portfolio of knoll seating — specifically the cantilevered designs. the duo revisited several designs, with mies van der rohe’s 1928 tugendhat chair inspiring newson’s final design. ‘newson’s aluminum chair really pays tribute to mies’s tugendhat chair, employing a similar reverse cantilever,’ explains pardo.

the chair is available with or without arms
image © designboom

‘this reverse cantilever evokes a visual weightlessness and renders an incredibly simple profile, where the seat floats effortlessly and is joined to the back via the legs of the chair,’ pardo continues. ‘we wanted to reimagine the tubular steel construction revolutionized at the bauhaus — which is transitively tied to knoll — with newson’s unique ability to imagine organic, almost futuristic shapes.’

the design ‘synthesizes simplicity, material, and precision’
image by ilan rubin, courtesy of knoll

with this in mind, newson forwent tubular steel in favor of cast aluminum, a material he felt allowed for a more dynamic form. the chair consists of three high-pressure castings — a main frame and two end caps — which connect to create a simple, yet structurally sound frame. importantly, and impressively, the complexity of the engineering is made invisible through mechanical precision and streamlined design.

the project also reflects newson’s fascination with the space age
image by ilan rubin, courtesy of knoll

the ‘newson aluminum chair’ is available with or without arms, in three frame paints, and with six mesh colors. the mesh seat and back are knitted using two components: polyester yarn, which adds color and a soft hand, along with thermoplastic elastomer which provides the structural element. meanwhile, the frame is die cast aluminum.

mies van der rohe’s 1928 tugendhat chair inspiring the final design
image by ilan rubin, courtesy of knoll

the designer forwent tubular steel in favor of cast aluminum
image by ilan rubin, courtesy of knoll

the chair consists of three high-pressure castings — a main frame and two end caps
image by ilan rubin, courtesy of knoll

the result is a simple, yet structurally sound frame
image by ilan rubin, courtesy of knoll

the complexity of the engineering is made invisible through mechanical precision
image by ilan rubin, courtesy of knoll

three frame paints are available, with six mesh colors
image by ilan rubin, courtesy of knoll