Knoll

Located on the 29th floor of The Gas Company Tower in Downtown LA, Knoll’s new space exemplifies contemporary workspace design while paying tribute to the iconic brand’s history and the panoramic views of downtown Los Angeles. This interior evolves design elements from the design architect’s Knoll NYC flagship, translating the material palette to reflect the southern California location. Neutral pink finishes in stone, lacquer, terrazzo, felt and textile refer to the beach climate; super-graphics around the interior include Herbert Matter’s birds and film stills from Hollywood classics.
In response to Knoll’s desired programming, the project offers flexible open office layouts with informal meetings areas, and includes more traditional concepts of private offices and a formal board room. The contrasting concepts of open and private spaces allow a range of Knoll furniture to be displayed, from pieces that delineate space, to pieces that activate enclosed areas. Like previous Knoll showrooms, the Los Angeles space is organized by a sculptural brass rail that displays a changing selection of Knoll textiles. Utilitarian spaces such as the pantry, copy, and server room form the center of the floor plan, while the showroom, conference, and office spaces have access to natural light and expansive views of the Los Angeles skyline. The design of the Los Angeles interior integrates Knoll textiles as architectural finishes, creating materially rich spaces and displays of furniture and fabrics, while also providing a testing lab for new product applications.
Close collaboration between Los Angeles and New York-based team members during design and construction was required in order to successfully bring this project to realization. For Knoll, this meant addressing goals and objectives of executive leadership in New York, while understanding specific sales and workplace-oriented needs for the Los Angeles Knoll team. Similarly, the architectural team consisted of design leadership in New York working in close collaboration with the Los Angeles executive architect for local expertise. Throughout design, the architectural team had regular meetings with the local owner’s representative and general contractor – in order to ensure feasibility of design goals, to validate the project budget, and to confirm scheduling and procurement targets. This dialogue between design and construction teams continued into the construction phase, enabling the execution of precise, careful detailing and materials installation in the project.