The Washington Collection, manufactured by Knoll and Designed by Adjaye Associates, is inspired by the design of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Photo: Knoll
The plastic Skin side chair is injection-molded and available in a variety of colors, with prices starting at $300. Photo: Knoll
The $50,000 Corona table will only be available in a limited edition of 75, to commemorate Knoll's 75th anniversary. Photo: Knoll
Adjaye designed the profile so that the chair would largely disappear when people were sitting on it. Photo: Knoll
The Skeleton side chair has some interesting finish options, like a polished copper surface. Photo: Knoll
The chairs are manufactured using two very different processes, but share a distinct ribbing pattern that is both aesthetic and functional. Photo: Knoll
Some architects scoff at furniture commissions, but Adjaye was thrilled with the chance to work at a different scale, using new materials, in a relatively fast-paced environment. Photo: Knoll
The exterior sides of the Corona table were left unfinished and retain the sandy texture from the molds they were cast in. Photo: Knoll
The interior faces of the panels were CNC milled and buffed to a mirror shine to create a deliberate contrast between the interior and exterior, one of Adjaye's big aesthetic themes. Photo: Knoll
Almost every museum has a gift shop where visitors can buy a knickknack to remember the time spent in front of a lovely Vermeer, but few galleries give patrons the ability to purchase furniture inspired by the building’s architecture. The National Museum of African American History and Culture, designed by David Adjaye, is a 420,000-square-foot project being built in the shadow of the Washington Monument at a cost of $309 million, but for just $300, fans of the British architect can own a chair inspired by it.
Furniture giant Knoll commissioned Adjaye and his 48-person office—which has completed commissions in Moscow, Oslo, and London—to design a collection of furniture inspired by the stunning, bronze-clad, Smithsonian affiliate. It consists of: The Washington Skin Nylon Chair ($300), the Washington Skeleton Aluminum Side Chair ($490), and the Washington Corona Bronze Coffee Table, which is being produced in a limited edition of 75 units ($50,000).
The strong angles and bold materials used in the construction of the National Museum of African American History and Culture serve as inspiration for a related line of furniture. Image: Adjaye Associates
The cantilevered legs follow similar lines of the building’s profile.
“I explored a number of themes in the Knoll furniture—such as monumentality, materiality and history—which are also evident in my architectural projects including the Washington building,” says Adjaye “So the formal languages do share a timeframe and a common inquiry.”
Adjaye started the process working on the plastic chair, but quickly realized that the distinct ribbing pattern, which helps the resin flow in an injection mold, would also make for an impressive die-cast aluminum design. “To be cost effective for both metal and plastic, we were limited to a two-part mold, which means that all the holes are cut in one direction,” he says. “That was a challenge for us at first because we wanted the ribbing to feel integral, not applied.” In the end, both designs have slightly different structures with limited variation in the number of ribs and their spacing. The chairs are minimal, but even the lightweight plastic chair can accommodate people who weigh 300 pounds.
The chairs have a distinct look that mimic the museum in subtle ways—the cantilevered legs follow similar lines of the building’s profile and the ribbing is inspired by African patterns which also adorn the metallic facade, but despite his passion for larger than life forms, Adjaye was always keenly aware of ergonomics. “The primary idea behind the design was to mimic the form of a seated person,” he says “The idea is that the chair almost disappears when in use.”
For a designer used to planning projects that will span a decade, the Washington Collection gave Adjaye the flexibility to focus on big ideas instead of ballooning budgets. “Rather than making a product, it was an opportunity to express my position in terms of materials, silhouettes and forms,” says Adjaye “It was like a testing ground for ideas that interest me”
Adjaye is no stranger to technical challenges, but required him to master a new set of materials, as well as price targets that would be rounding errors on his construction projects. “It is very different,” he says. “Furniture can be everywhere and used by everyone, unthinkingly in their daily lives—it is a background. There is something very powerful and very rewarding about that.”
The Corona table is a heavy piece, crafted out of slabs of bronze and glass, and carries a hefty price tag of $50,000. Photo: Knoll
The chairs are joined by the Corona Table, a $50,000 piece that is inspired by the bronze panels that will cover Adjaye’s museum when it is completed. Its four panels were cast in bronze, with the exterior revealing the sand cast texture while the internal face was CNC milled and polished to a mirror finish. “The contrast in the finish is an investigation into the relationship between inside and outside, public and private, exposing and concealing,” he says. “Many ideas which feed into my work more generally.”
Some architects famously reject small projects like furniture and even small homes, but Adjaye relishes the opportunity “The collection explores critical themes in my work—research, history, materiality—finding specific conditions, amplifying them and making them aesthetic while giving them the potential to be part of our world.”
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