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Knoll Designer Donald Knorr

DONALD ROBERT KNORR, FAIA (1922-2003)

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Born on Christmas Day in Chicago, Knorr grew up in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, a western suburb of Milwaukee. He knew by age 16 that he wanted to be an architect, and enrolled at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana in 1940. He served in the Navy in WWII as an officer in the Photo Intelligence Service, studying aerial photos of potential bombing sites. After the war, he returned to the University for a BA in Architecture in 1947 and later a Masters from Cranbrook.  Eero Saarinen became his mentor and employer.  At Saarinen's urging, Knorr submitted a steel chair design to a New York Museum of Modern Art competition and won his first international first-place award.  Knoll started producing it in 1950.  In 1949, Knorr moved to San Francisco to work for SOM and went out on his own two years later.  In 1958 he became a partner in the successor firm Knorr-Elliott and Associates, which remained his professional home for decades.

1956 - The Robert and Betty Hilmer House, 1 Mercedes Lane, Atherton CA. Similar to the Case Study #19A House. Deeded to heirs.  Sold in 2020 to the George Hensler Trust.

Around 1961 - Vacation House.  Photo by Morley Baer.  Featured in Vacation Houses by William J. Hennessey.  Status unknown.

1981 – 642 Via Lido Nord, Newport Beach, CA. Taken down to the studs by an unknown architect. Listed in June 2023 for $19.95M, now reduced to $18.5M. Last photo shows the house before renovation, which appears to follow the same outline.

1990 - 50 Black Fox Way, Redwood City CA. Sold in 2019.

Late 1970's - mid 1990's - Portola Valley Ranch, a 453 acre cluster housing development 30 miles from San Francisco, 205 houses built. Developed by Joseph Whelan, the project received an Award of Merit from the AIA in 1978. Example house for sale: 50 Bear Paw, built 1978.



Year unknown - aka Case Study House 19A.  Unbuilt.  Designed for a young couple and their son, this was the first home in the Case Study program to be located outside southern California. Although the house was drawn all the way up to its construction documents, it was never built due to the client’s financial difficulties. Instead, Knorr built  the Hilmer House nearby with the same general plan.

Research by Catherine Cramer.