When designers Bruce Hannah and Andrew Morrison unveiled their Morrison Hannah chair (originally known as the 2300 Series) back in 1973, Knoll held a splashy launch event at NYC’s then newly completed World Trade Center. Among those in attendance was Rowena Reed Kostellow, who had been one of Hannah and Morrison’s favourite teachers at the Pratt Institute. “She was wearing a dramatic cloak that day, so I remember her swirling around to evaluate the design, and then singing our praises to the press,” recalls Hannah. But five minutes later, he felt Kostellow tug at his arm. “She told me, ‘Bruce, you know, the back curve is lovely. But the front curve still needs a little work.’ And 50 years later, I finally got the chance to make some adjustments.” This past fall, Knoll reissued the Morrison Hannah chair with a few modest updates. In some ways, the relaunch is bittersweet: Morrison passed away in 2021, and Hannah feels his absence keenly. “But it’s also quite a gift to have this happen,” he says. “I’m 83 now and it’s like, come on — this just gets better.”

1973

Sleeping on the job is generally frowned upon. But that didn’t stop Hannah and Morrison from bolting two pillows to a metal frame while developing their initial concept. “We were trying to make a task chair with as few parts as possible,” Hannah says. “The pillows gave this idea of comfort — a nice, soft contrast to hard aluminum.” As the shape of the backrest and seat cushion evolved, the designers held unofficial focus groups in their studio on Howard Street. “We realized that people needed somewhere for their sitz bones to go,” Hannah explains — hence the placement of the large buttons that hold the cushions in place. Mind you, most people just see this ergonomic detail as part of the chair’s charming personality. The product’s advertising slogan summed all this up perfectly: “Easy to manufacture, easy to reupholster, easy to live with, and easy to love.”

2024

When it came time for a 21st-century tune-up, Knoll’s engineers worked with Hannah to achieve a wider range of tilt, introduce a more comfortable foam, and hone a few of the design’s angles. At a time when hybrid workers are still seeking WFH furniture that won’t clash with their decor, the playful chair feels more relevant than ever. “It isn’t intrusive,” Hannah says. Still, he believes that there’s room for the Morrison Hannah chair in corporate life, too —even for the design’s boldest configurations featuring a blue, red or yellow frame and matching cushions. “Lovely, inviting environments are good. So I hope the world says, ‘Let’s have some fun. Let’s buy it in 12 different colours for the office and smile.’ ”