Share
MillerKnoll is a global collective of design brands built on the foundation of two icons of modernism: Herman Miller and Knoll. Guided by a shared purpose — design for the good of humankind — MillerKnoll generates insights, pioneers innovations, and champions ideas to better align spaces with how people live, work, and gather.
Manufacturing Modern Exhibition Designs pictured Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman, Charles Eames, Ray Eames, 1956 (Herman Miller) Womb Chair, Eero Saarinen, 1948 (Knoll) Kleinhans Auditorium Seating, Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen, 1939 (Unknown Manufacturer) Cesca Chair, Marcel Breuer,1928 Barcelona Chair, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 1929 (Knoll) Wassily Chair, Marcel Breuer, 1925 (Knoll) Basic Cabinet Series and Platform Bench, George Nelson, 1947 (Herman Miller) Organic Design Cabinet Charles Eames, Eero Saarinen, 1940, Red Lion furniture company Model 540 Cabinet, Florence Knoll, 1954 (Knoll) Untitled, Harry Bertoia, 1958 (Knoll)
This year, MillerKnoll announced the opening of its archives, a 12,000-sqft space located at its Michigan Design Yard headquarters in Holland. The one-of-a-kind facility becomes the permanent home for the brands’ archival collections, comprising more than one million objects. Featuring a curated selection of these works from Herman Miller, Knoll, and other brands of the MillerKnoll collective, the research and exhibition facility offers a compelling look into the evolution of modern design.
View of the furniture racking. This aisle showcases pieces from the 1930s-1940s, including the Grasshopper Chair by Eero Saarinen, 1946 (above) and Amoeba Coffee Table by Jens Risom, 1943 (below).
The archives are organised into three key areas: an exhibition space, open storage, and a reading room, designed for both internal and external researchers. Serving as a space for study and inspiration, the archives provide an essential resource for MillerKnoll associates as well as architecture and design partners, curators, and academics seeking to explore the brands’ influential history, and spark ideas for future products and solutions. MillerKnoll collaborated with New York-based design consultancy Standard Issue to bring the space to life.
Manufacturing Modern Exhibition
The inaugural exhibition, ‘Manufacturing Modern’, examines the shared histories of Knoll and Herman Miller, and features a selection of the iconic designs created by the visionaries who shaped the companies – Florence Knoll, George Nelson, Eero Saarinen, Charles and Ray Eames, Harry Bertoia, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Marcel Breuer. Through these objects and interpretive materials, the exhibition traces the early development of Modernism, the early 20th century movement whose guiding principles propelled the two brands to create designs fundamental to the history of modern design.
Postmodern pieces from collection including chairs designed by Robert Venturi & Denise Scott Brown (above) and Ettore Sottsass (below), for Knoll, 1980s.
Open Storage
More than 300 pieces of modern furniture design are on display in open storage, showcasing both well-known original works from Knoll and Herman Miller and contemporary designs from other MillerKnoll brands like HAY, Geiger, and NaughtOne. The storage racks map the evolution of modern furniture from the 1920s to today.
Standout pieces include a rare prototype of the Knoll Womb® Chair, gifted by Eero Saarinen to his mother, Loja Saarinen; groundbreaking Gilbert Rohde designs for Herman Miller, first shown at the 1933 World’s Fair; early office furniture designs by Florence Knoll; and a lamp and rocking stool created by Isamu Noguchi for Knoll, among others.
Complementing the furniture collection, wall-mounted art racks display two-dimensional works, including photography by Charles and Ray Eames, advertisements by Herbert Matter and George Nelson, and posters by Lella and Massimo Vignelli. Together, these pieces illustrate a rich visual narrative of modern design’s impact.
Reading Room
Adjacent to the open storage, the reading room houses an exceptional archival materials including correspondence, photography, drawings, and textiles. With over 250 linear feet of documents, highlights include memoranda detailing the development of George Nelson’s first collection for Herman Miller; design and engineering drawings for classic products including the Eames® Lounge Chair and Ottoman for Herman Miller; and original “paste-ups” created by Florence Knoll featuring layouts for her well-known interiors.
Reading Room
The combined archives serve as a resource for understanding the evolution of modern furniture and workplace design, inspiring architects, designers, and enthusiasts worldwide, including those from Singapore and Southeast Asia.
The archives are generally open by appointment for researchers, designers, and other partners. To request a tour, contact MillerKnoll directly via their archives contact page.
For more information, visit millerknoll.com.
