Alexander Girard described himself as "a reasonable and sane functionalist, tempered by irrational frivolity." The Model 108 Coffee Table, introduced to the Knoll catalog in 1948, reflects the playful spirit he injected into the often austere modern vocabulary.
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Designed by Alexander Girard in 1945 for Knoll, the coffee table asymmetric shape reflects the mid-century aesthetic of clean lines, organic shapes and Girard’s view that “Art is only art when it is synonymous with living.”
Top: Oak or walnut veneer. Top has a 45° beveled edge.
Legs: Cold-rolled steel tubes with metal weldment in black powder coat.
The structure is always black, while the top is available in natural oak, ebonised oak and walnut.
150cm L x 66cm W x 41cm H.
Alexander Girard described himself as “a reasonable and sane functionalist, tempered by irrational frivolity.” The Coffee Table, introduced to the Knoll catalogue as the Model 108 in 1948, reflects the playful spirit he injected into the often austere modern vocabulary. The table was an early Knoll Classic, and is prominently featured in one of the most iconic portraits of Florence Knoll and her dog, Cartree.
Girard’s furniture and, more famously, his textile designs defined a new kind of “opulent modernism.” Often drawing inspiration from traditional folk art, his pioneering and innovative approach to design helped usher in the colours, whimsy and amoebic shapes synonymous with 1960’s America. After a major retrospective or Girard’s work at the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum in 2004, Knoll reintroduced the Coffee Table.
Widely considered the greatest colourist and textile designer of modern time, Girard used traditional folk art to infuse colour, whimsy, and humour into vibrant modern design. He was able to capture the essence of Latin America while still creating designs that were fresh and contemporary, finding the perfect balance of high and low art forms. In 2004, Girard was the subject of a major retrospective at the Cooper Hewitt, National Design Museum, confirming his place in the pantheon of great mid-century designers.