Mies van der Rohe Sofa

The furniture designed by Mies van der Rohe which Knoll introduced in the 1960s had all been designed in the 1930s. However, there was a lounge seating group that came to Knoll’s attention in the late 1960s that the architect had specified for one of his last commissions just two years before he died in 1969.

“In 1970 Knoll introduced a sofa designed by Mies in the early 1930s,” Christine Rae wrote. “Originally this piece was reproduced to the architect’s special order, and he used it in several of his early European projects. In 1967 Mies revised the design for the Toronto Dominion Bank Building’s executive offices and bank pavilion; Knoll International Canada was commissioned to produce the sofa for this installation. The same design was later produced by Knoll International de Mexico for the Camino Real Hotel in Mexico City.”^{1, 2}

The Mies van der Rohe No. 263 Sofa was the design inspiration for the No. 262 Settee and No. 261 Lounge Chair. Courtesy D ROSE MOD.

The Bolster was identical to that used on the Mies van der Rohe No. 258 Couch still manufactured by Knoll. Courtesy D ROSE MOD.

The No. 261 Lounge Chair, No. 262 Settee and No. 263 Sofa⁴ were of conventional design and hardwood frame construction having fabric-wrapped springs and latex foam rubber over jute webbing. These pieces were fully upholstered except for the base beneath each arm. The base could be ordered in walnut, teak or rosewood veneer. They were most commonly ordered with leather upholstery but could be ordered with any fabric available from Knoll, or the customer could provide their own material (COM). The seat and back cushions were reversible. The settee and sofa also featured bolsters that matched that used on the No. 258 Mies van der Rohe Couch (frequently called daybed).³

This seating group remained in the catalog until the late 1970s.⁴
1. Christine Rae. Knoll au Louvre: Catalog of the Exhibition held at the Pavillion de Marsan Musée des Arts Décoratifs 107, rue de Rivoli, Paris. January 12 to March 12, 1972. (New York: Chanticleer Press, Inc., 1971) unpaginated.
2. In addition to the No. 263 Sofa, the No. 261 Lounge Chair and the No. 262 Settee were listed in the 1973 Knoll Price List.
3. Knoll International Furniture Price List 1973. 27-28.
4. Knoll International Furniture Price List 1977/78 Contract/Residential. 127-128. The lounge chair, settee and sofa were not listed in the Knoll International Furniture Price List Contract/Residential 5/79.