From October 15 to November 7, Toronto-Dominion Centre (TD Centre) in Toronto will host ‘Masters of Modern’, an exhibition organized by Knoll with support from DesignTO, Cadillac Fairview and Drechsel. Located in the Main Lobby and Linkway areas of the TD Centre, a classic Ludwig Mies van der Rohe architectural design, the exhibition is open to the public during regular hours 5:30am to 6:30pm Monday-Friday. Along with a display where the public can read and learn about Knoll, Mies and Bauhaus designers, the layout of furniture is open for visitors to sit and experience the designs for themselves.
In honour of the Bauhaus Centenary, ‘Masters of Modern’ will celebrate Mies van der Rohe and the Bauhaus alumni who profoundly influenced Florence Knoll, whose embrace of rationalism and total design helped lead the next generation of Modernists. Throughout her career, Florence Knoll translated the Bauhaus idea of the total work of art to the American public and corporate world of the 1950s and 1960s. She helped define American Modernism and set a precedent for design that is holistic rather than object-focused. A range of archival and iconic products will be on display including Marcel Breuer’s Cesca and Wassily Chair; Florence Knoll’s Lounge Chair and Coffee Table; Anni Albers’ Eclat Weave textile; and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Collection and MR Side Chairs.
Benjamin Pardo, Knoll Design Director, commented, “The exhibition at the TD Centre underscores the strong bond between Florence Knoll and the Modern Movement, all under the architectural umbrella of one her greatest influences, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.”
Designed by Mies van der Rohe and completed in 1969, the TD Centre office complex epitomizes the architect’s interpretation of the International Style—an architectural style developed in the 1920s and 1930s rooted in the use of industrial materials, flat surfaces and modular forms, all the while rejecting any sort of ornamentations and colour. Like Mies’ Seagram Building in New York City, the TD Centre is darkly coloured, rigidly ordered with a calculated combination of steel and glass and set in a large open plaza. Three towers occupy the granite plaza, mathematically ordered to allow views to come in and out of focus as viewers traverse the plaza. Together, the three towers of the TD Centre uphold the very design principles Mies passed down to Florence Knoll, and so are a natural home for ‘Masters of Modern’.
‘Masters of Modern’
Toronto Dominion Centre
100 Wellington St W, Toronto, ON M5K 1A1
Hours: 5:30AM-6:30PM
Exhibition runs until November 7, 2019
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About Drechsel
Since 1991, Drechsel has been one of Canada’s largest full-service dealers for commercial office furnishings and furniture management services. Their goal is to deliver smart office solutions to meet client’s changing
workplace needs on time, on budget and without disrupting operations.
Drechsel provides an all-in-one approach to the delivery and installation of world-class furniture. They are experts in the management of complex, multi-phased and budget sensitive projects, delivering integrated furniture solutions for Fortune 500, public, institutional, and private sector clients.
About Cadillac Fairview
Cadillac Fairview is one of the largest owners, operators and developers of best-in-class office, retail and mixed-use properties in North America. The Cadillac Fairview portfolio is owned by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, a diversified global investor which administers the pensions of more than 327,000 active and retired school teachers. The real estate portfolio also includes investments in retail, mixed-use and industrial real estate in Brazil, Colombia and Mexico.
Valued at around $31 billion, the Canadian portfolio includes over 37 million square feet of leasable space at 68 properties in Canada, including landmark developments, such as Toronto-Dominion Centre, CF Toronto Eaton Centre, CF Pacific Centre, CF Chinook Centre, Tour Deloitte and CF Carrefour Laval.
About Knoll
Knoll, Inc. is a constellation of design-driven brands and people, working together with our clients to create inspired modern interiors. Our internationally recognized portfolio includes furniture, textiles, leathers, lighting, accessories, and architectural and acoustical elements brands. These brands — Knoll Office, KnollStudio, KnollTextiles, KnollExtra, Spinneybeck | FilzFelt, Edelman Leather, HOLLY HUNT, DatesWeiser and Muuto — reflect our commitment to modern design that meets the diverse requirements of high-performance workplaces and luxury interiors. A recipient of the National Design Award for Corporate and Institutional Achievement from the Smithsonian`s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Knoll, Inc. is aligned with the U.S. Green Building Council and the Canadian Green Building Council and can help organizations achieve the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) workplace certification. Knoll, Inc. is the founding sponsor of the World Monuments Fund Modernism at Risk Program.