ABSTRACT
In the post-war decades furniture produced by Knoll became a well-known and highly respected ingredient of the modern interior in many Western countries. The success of Knoll was clearly balanced between excellent design and manufacture, and innovative and shrewd business acumen. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the political agency of modern furniture in the global context primarily between 1945 and the late 1970s. It discusses both well- and lesser-known post-war furniture elements within a range of contexts. The book focuses on furniture as one of many interrelated actors negotiating power relations, including furniture brands, manufacturers, designers, governmental bodies, institutional representatives, architects, design schools, hotel chains, consumers, prison institutions and libraries. Some of the interiors are carefully orchestrated scenographies designed by an architectural office, an interior designer or a furnishing company in response to the commissioner's (political) beliefs, needs or wishes.
