Knoll has introduced the Newson Task chair designed by the trailblazing industrial designer Marc Newson. Newson Task is an ergonomic task chair whose silhouette creates one continuous line. The cantilevered shape is made possible by a brand-new tilt innovation —one that flips the mechanism vertically, so it’s concealed cleverly beneath the seat.
“The Newson Task chair exemplifies Knoll’s tradition of collaborating with master designers, as we remain committed to delivering innovative and dynamic designs for the ways in which people live and work today,” said Alana Stevens, Knoll brand president. “With Newson Task we wanted to bring the user’s personality to the forefront, empowering them and inspiring them to create new possibilities. Because sometimes the first step to greatness is sitting down."
Design
With a world-renowned designer at the helm, every detail of the Newson Task chair has been thoroughly considered. Marc wanted to move beyond the usual chair-as-machine aesthetic, creating something more modern, refined, and sophisticated. The Newson Task chair was designed from all angles, ensuring every surface, component and seam met Marc’s rigorous commitment to simplicity. The chair has an organic, fluid design that clearly evokes movement. The profile is one continuous line, creating a cantilever shape that makes the seat appear to float—a completely new look for a work chair. The back is soft and rounded, and its pattern was designed to evoke a sense of depth and movement on a plane that would typically be viewed as flat.
Textures have been carefully selected to give every surface a sense of luxury. The back and arms feel soft like suede and contrast nicely with the shiny, smooth knobs and handles that draw attention for adjusting. Ten different components have been custom color matched to deliver a uniform visual experience.
The Newson Task chair has a quiet confidence that creates an interesting duality - the ability to stand out as a statement piece or blend into its surroundings. The monochromatic color scheme gives a sense of wholeness to the chair and creates visual continuity within the chair itself, which translates into the greater space being planned. Newson Task features so many incredible design attributes that it’s easy to plan with this chair in a simple space so it stands out, but in a group, the power of the Newson Task chair is that it can blend into a pack thanks to its organic nature.
Ergonomics
The Newson Task Chair has been finely tuned to deliver unmatched support and works together in quiet harmony to provide an unmatched highly ergonomic experience.
Its unique honeycomb back pairs a flexible nylon frame with a rubberized, thermoplastic elastomeric skin, an innovative combination that supports all levels of movement, from an upright posture to the deepest recline. The elastomeric back has a hammock-like effect that provides effortless comfort while the unique hole pattern allows the back to stretch with user movements to provide support. The honeycomb back features integral lumbar support in the shape of the frame, enhanced by the conforming elastomer webbing, which molded at its tension to ensure comfortable support.
Newson Task’s T1 Control is an innovation in tilt mechanisms that utilizes a vertical spring system to allow the seat to float. In order to leave the underside of the chair free and uncluttered, the design of the T1 control has been flipped vertically, with a clean, clever tilt elegantly tucked beneath the seat. This allows users to easily limit movement to a partial recline or lock out the recline completely.
The introduction of the Newson Task chair expands upon the ideas of Marc’s first collaboration with Knoll, the Newson Aluminum Side Chair (2018), to create a family of seating. Both the Newson Task Chair and the Newson Aluminum Side Chair are forward-looking expressions that synthesize simplicity, innovative approaches to materials, and precision in the Modernist tradition. The profile of each design is one continuous line- a nod to the cantilever shape- evoking a visual weightlessness and simple profile. The Aluminum Side Chair has clean, linear geometry and while the Newson Task Chair is more complex in its function, it remains a simple, straightforward form. These two modern seats pair naturally in the home or the workplace, from an executive office as task and guest seating to conference rooms, cafes, and workstations across a floorplate with their light, sleek design.
The Newson Task chair is available in four colors for the back, arms, seat structure and T1 mechanism - petal, graphite, umber, and ink with either a red or grey tension knob dependent on the back finish. The seat is upholstered in KnollTextiles and Spinneybeck leathers and the base is black or grey 5-star plastic or polished aluminum.
Newson Task is available for contract clients at specific business pricing via authorized MillerKnoll dealers. It is also available for purchase at Knoll Design Shops and Knoll.com with a starting price of $1,195.00.