Workers: Florence Knoll Bassett

Florence Knoll Bassett (1917-2019) ushered in a new modern and sleek aesthetic for the American office during the postwar era. The pioneering architect and interior designer believed the design process should incorporate every element — from furniture textiles to artwork to doorknobs. Her work at Knoll Furniture brought us some of the most recognizable  furniture silhouettes from the modernist era — including the iconic “womb chair.” 

For Further Reading:

• Florence Knoll Bassett, 101, Designer of the Modern American Office, Dies - The New York Times
• Florence Knoll Bassett | Pioneering Women of American Architecture  
• Florence Knoll Bassett, Design Pioneer and Guiding Light of Knoll, Dies at 101 | Features 

This month we’re talking about workers: Women who fought for labor rights and shaped the way we do business today. They advocated and innovated to make the “office” – wherever it is – a more equitable place.

History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.

Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hello from Wonder Media Network. I'm Jenny Kaplan and this
is Womanica. This month, we're talking about workers, women who
fought for labor rights and shaped the way we do
business today. They advocated and innovated to make the office
wherever it is a more equitable place. When I say
modern office space, what images come to mind? An open

(00:25):
floor plan, glass walls and plenty of natural light, lots
of greenery, comfortable in sleek desks and chairs. The place
you're picturing right now was probably influenced by the interior
design work of today's Womanicuin. During the post war era
in the United States, she was dubbed the single most
powerful figure in the field of modern design. Please meet

(00:48):
Florence Noel Bassett. Florence was born on May twenty fourth,
nineteen seventeen, in Saginaw, Michigan. She was an only child,
orphaned before she was a teenager. A family friend took
custody of Florence. He sent her to Kingswood School, a girls'
school associated with the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan.

(01:12):
Florence became enamored with the intricate and stylish architecture of
her new school, building. It was there that her fascination
with design began. The Cranbrook campus had been chiefly designed
by Finnish architect Aliel Saarinin. He was also the headmaster
at Cranbrook at the time. When he learned of Florence's
enthusiasm for architecture, He took the orphaned girl under his wing.

(01:36):
His family invited Florence to spend her summer holidays traveling
around Europe and exposed her to new art and culture.
She forged a friendship with Aliel's son, Arrow, who would
go on to design the Gateway arch in Saint Louis.
When Florence graduated from Kingswood, Aliel helped her secure a
place at Cranbrook Academy of Art. She began studying design

(01:59):
in earnest enrolling in programs in New York and London,
and ultimately completing her education at Chicago's Armor Institute of Technology.
Then she moved to New York City. It was nineteen
forty one. Florence began working in the offices of several architects.
She was relegated to the interiors department, where most women

(02:20):
architects ended up at that time. Then she met Hans Noll.
He was a German businessman at the helm of his
family's furniture company. He was on a mission to spread
the European modernism esthetic in America, and Florence was just
the person to help him. In nineteen forty six, Florence
became a partner at Hans's firm. They got married the

(02:42):
same year. In the post war era, American workspaces were
undergoing major changes, including how office has looked. Large companies
based in and around New York were moving into innovative
skyscraping office towers. The American office was modernized, and Florence
believed its interior should reflect that. She helped usher in

(03:05):
a new era of open, stylish, and sleek American offices.
Gone were heavy mahogany desks and stuffy interiors. The offices
Florence designed were sleek, bright and spacious. She planned the
interiors for major corporate clients like General Motors, CBS, and IBM.
The newly minted Knull Planning unit, founded by Florence, focused

(03:27):
on shaping office spaces to work with clients' needs. Florence
wasn't interested in just adorning a workspace. She once said,
I am not a decorator. The only place I decorate
is my own house. In her design process, she was
scrupulous about every single detail. No element of a space

(03:48):
florence design could be called an afterthought, from the art
on the walls to the design of ashtrays and doorknobs.
She commissioned established architects to create signature furniture pieces for
the company. She asked childhood friend Aerosarinin to design a
chair like a great big basket of pillows that I
can curl up in. The result was the Womb chair.

(04:10):
That piece and other iconic designs in the Barcelona chair
and the Cyclone table became staples for the company. Many
are still in production today. Florence also designed some furniture
pieces herself. She launched NOL Textiles when it became apparent
that she needed fresher fabrics to upholster the company's modern designs.

(04:31):
Florence also established many of the practices that are now
commonplace in interior design, like considering how a business operates
or how to improve worker satisfaction and productivity when designing
an office space. Under her leadership, the company opened showrooms
and cities around the world, exhibiting firsthand the groundbreaking design
work happening at Nol Furniture. In nineteen fifty five, Hans

(04:55):
was unexpectedly killed in a car accident. Some thought the
company and he would falter under Florence's sole leadership, but
she kept the business growing. She remained president until nineteen sixty,
when she sold her interest in the company, but continued
on as director of Design. Five years later, Florence retired
from the company. She transitioned to a private architecture and

(05:19):
design practice based in Florida, where she lived with her
second husband, Harry Hood Bassett. Florence's groundbreaking work in interior
design has been highly praised over the decades since her
career began. In nineteen sixty one, she became the first
woman to receive the Gold Medal for Industrial Design at
the American Institute of Architects. Her work has been showcased

(05:40):
in several museum exhibits, including at New York's Modern Museum
of Art in Paris's Mouset de Art de Coratifs. In
two thousand and two, Florence was presented with America's highest
honor of artistic excellence, the National Medal of Arts. Florence
died on January twenty fifth, twenty nineteen hundred and one

(06:00):
years old. All month, we're talking about workers. For more information,
find us on Facebook and Instagram at Wamanica Podcast Special
thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co creator.
Talk to you tomorrow