Walter Knoll: Milan Design Week 2025

Philip Kottlorz

• Interior Architects

2025 is a special year for Walter Knoll, as it will be the first time the company has exhibited outdoor furniture. Inside-out is the theme of this year’s display. The characteristic rope mesh of the new Shinzo Lounge Chair Hybrid serves as inspiration for the central leitmotif. Large-scale textile rope and ribbon installations create an abstract context, an almost dreamlike landscape, a space of possibilities – both inside and out. Tactile materiality, an interplay of light, shadow and texture guide visitors on their voyage of discovery through the spaces. The braided strings stand for the high level of craftsmanship and the love of materials that characterise all Walter Knoll products.

photo_credit Philip Kottlorz — Philip Kottlorz

Inside the building, ribbon curtains cover the walls on the ground floor and mezzanine, dividing the main space into two areas. Two curved walls covered with ropes and colourful fringes are positioned to create a stage, transforming the space into an abstract landscape through their additional structures and layers. With the circular window opening mirrored by a large ring opposite, two suns seem to shine over the scene. This landscape is populated by amorphous creatures made of coloured rope, which appear as companions to the the products.

The principal attraction in the chapel-like main room is the new Molamisa modular sofa by EOOS, which Walter Knoll hopes will appeal to a younger target group in particular. A larger-than-life creature made of blue rope and theatrical lighting draws the visitor’s attention to the multifaceted sofa landscape. It becomes a podium for trying out the new materials and qualities for yourself – as well as a stage for that all-important photo oppportunity.

The customer journey now leads up to the gallery, which offers a bird’s eye view of the landscape below and the incredible modularity of Molamisa. The mezzanine itself showcases Walter Knoll’s carpet collections. A small presentation about the ‘Legends of Carpets’ shows selected exhibits and a video installation on the work of Helmut Scheufele, whose artworks form the basis of many of the motifs. From here, guests are led back to the counter, while VIP guests are taken to the VIP area in the basement. In the cosy lounge atmosphere, they can toast new business relationships with a glass of Prosecco from the bar.

Whether in the form of ribbons in the upholstery, seams in the covers or threads in the carpets: ‘Threads of Creation’ run through all Walter Knoll products. We use these fibre structures to develop a strong design element that connects inside and outside as a visual leitmotif. The large-scale textile installations are made of recycled cotton and bio-based viscose. We developed the ribbons, fringes and ropes in collaboration with trimmings manufacturer Gustav Gerster, a company with a long tradition in the textile industry. The textile elements are deliberately temporary; they can be easily adapted to new spaces and will be reused in Walter Knoll showrooms in the future.