Dwell: Your collection's release coincides with Knoll's 75th anniversary. What was it like to collaborate with a company that has such a long—and revered—history?

Adjaye: It has been a huge learning curve. It was like a testing ground for ideas that interest me and an opportunity to engage in a production process with Knoll’s technical team. While I have previously designed objects—I have never worked on production furniture. It is very different. 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.

Photo by Dorothy Hong  Photo 1 of 9 in David Adjaye for Knoll by Diana Budds

David Adjaye for Knoll

1 of 9

Dwell: Your collection's release coincides with Knoll's 75th anniversary. What was it like to collaborate with a company that has such a long—and revered—history?

Adjaye: It has been a huge learning curve. It was like a testing ground for ideas that interest me and an opportunity to engage in a production process with Knoll’s technical team. While I have previously designed objects—I have never worked on production furniture. It is very different. 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.

Photo by Dorothy Hong