Chicago – Knoll, a part of the MillerKnoll furniture conglomerate, has partnered with the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) Mies van der Rohe Society to transform lobby space in the Michael Paul Galvin Tower into a gallery. 

Mies van der Rohe's teachings on space, spatial planning, and the role of furniture within space inspired Florence Knoll’s signature rigorous and methodical approach to design, according to the company. Knoll was a creative force behind Knoll, the legendary furniture company founded by Hans Knoll in 1941.

The Mies Society Gallery for Illinois Institute of Technology Campus and History provides students and internal and external communities with a space to interact with and learn about the principles and relationship between architecture and design.

The College of Architecture Dean, Reed Kroloff, is a past director of Cranbrook Academy of Art and Art Museum so this exhibition represents a bridge between both places that Florence Knoll studied.

“The relationship between Knoll and IIT began with Florence Knoll, who received her architecture degree from the school,” said Alana Stevens, president of Knoll. “We are honored to continue this legacy by working with IIT to inspire future generations of impactful leaders in architecture and design.”

“Knoll and IIT have a natural partnership and a common language of modernist design, clear purpose, quality, and integrity,” said Kroloff, dean of the College of Architecture at IIT. “It’s exciting to see this on display as we honor the legacies of Mies and Florence while educating students.”

The current exhibit, “A Discerning Eye,” is presented in partnership with the Mies van der Rohe Society and explores the mentoring relationship between Mies and Knoll. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was a German-born architect and educator who helped define modern architecture. He was director of the Bauhaus before coming to America to serve as the Dean of the College of Architecture at IIT.

During his tenure, Mies mentored and inspired numerous students, including Florence Knoll. Knoll’s idea of total design for the entire space was a foundational part of the Knoll Planning Unit and influences the Knoll perspective on design to this day.

“The power of mentorship remains core to IIT, Chicago’s only tech-focused university,” said Cynthia Vranas Olsen, M. ARCH ‘01, Ph.D. ‘17, Director of the Mies van der Rohe Society and Adjunct Professor, College of Architecture at IIT. “Mies and Florence were always designing and always educating, and the College of Architecture is carrying that tradition to the present day and shaping the future design leaders and architects of the world.”

The exhibit transforms the beautiful—yet underdeveloped—lobby space into purposefully designed, educational areas. Furniture from the IIT campus is featured throughout, including the Florence Knoll Lounge, Barcelona Chair, Florence Knoll Sofa, Florence Knoll Parallel Bar Chair, and the Brno Chair. Display cases and features showcase Knoll’s history as a trailblazer in spatial planning through the revolutionary Planning Unit and Mies’ role as a pioneer of modern architecture and details in design.

Student high-rise models from graduates of the Master of Tall Buildings and Vertical Urbanism (M.TBVU) are also on display strategically positioned next to two Florence Knoll Lounge Chairs to underline Mies’ statement: “a chair is a very difficult thing to design. Almost harder than designing a high rise. That is why Chippendale is so famous.”

The exhibit will be on display through April 2022.