The Zapf System and the Zapf Executive Chair Collection continued to sell well for Knoll, entering the 1980s, with the office system a significant source of profits within that market. Zapf wanted to revisit the area of seating but go upscale from his previous efforts with Knoll.
In 1981, Zapf designed a collection of lounge seating upholstered either in rich fabric or leather.1 The collection, which Zapf called Heli, included a lounge chair, a settee and a sofa. Each piece had a distinctive welting detail on the front edges, more prominent than that used on his executive chairs. He deliberately designed the pieces so that they were suitable for both residential and commercial applications.
“I don’t see a big difference any more between contract and residential,” Zapf said in an interview. “People spend eight hours in the office and six hours at home. But it’s the same people!.”2
Knoll introduced the lounge collection first for the European market. This collection won the Design Center Stuttgart Award in 1984. However, the collection was not listed in Knoll’s US June 1984 Catalog and was probably introduced to the U.S. market the following year.3 For the North American Market, the Zapf Heli Lounge Collection included the No. 63S1 Lounge Chair, the No. 63S2 Settee and the No. 63S3 Sofa.4 The Heli Lounge collection remained in the Knoll catalog until the late 1990s.5
1. ZapfDesign. https://ottozapf.com/1981-heli.html.
2.”Otto Zapf: Quintessential craftsman.” Elizabeth Olarsh, Ed. Interior Design, 1988.
3. Knoll Catalog and Price list, June 1984
4. KnollStudio Price List 1988. 72-73.
5. Listed in the KnollStudio Price List 1996, but not listed in the KnollStudio Price 1998