Charles Pfister (1939 to 1990) was an American interior and furniture designer and architect. He was professionally active in San Francisco.
After earning a B.A. in Architecture from the University of California, Charles Pfister worked as an interior designer at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill for 15 years. It was during this period that he created the Pfister Lounge Collection for Knoll, with production beginning in 1971.
Education
He studied architecture and design, University of California at Berkeley.
Biography
Between 1965-81, Pfister was a designer of corporate interiors in the San Francisco branch of architects Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. Here, he became active in mass production design and was an associate partner and interior design department, director. He was known for interiors of elegant simplicity. In 1981, Pfister, James Leal, and Pamela Babey established Charles Pfister Associates in San Francisco. His extensive list of clients included Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt and Citicorp.
He produced the interiors for;
- the 21 Club restaurant, New York
- Square One restaurant, San Francisco
- Grand Hotel, Washington
- Shell central headquarters, The Hague
- United Overseas Bank, Singapore
- a hotel 13th-century monastery in Milan.
He designed rugs for V’Soske, seating for Metropolitan and Bernhardt, and lighting for Boyd and Casella. His office furniture and accessories for Knoll included the 1975 range of clear glass ashtrays and bowls produced by Vistosi in Murano.
His 40-piece 1990 Premier Collection of residential furniture made by Baker was said· by him to owe its design to various sources, including the work of Terence RobsJohn-Gibbings ( to whom the range was dedicated), 19th-century Russia, 18th-century Sweden and ‘steamship moderne.’
He also designed case-goods, seating, and tables for Baker Execu Office. In 1988, Pfister’s firm was renamed The Pfister Partnership, with offices in San Francisco and London.
Knoll
Charles Pfister designed his beautifully proportioned lounge collection in 1971. The timeless appeal and superb craftsmanship reflect his interest in “useful, sculptural, wonderfully constructed objects.”
Sources
Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing.
Kurtick, J., & Eakin, G. (1996). Interior architecture. Van Nostrand Reinhold.
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After earning a B.A. in Architecture from the University of California, Charles Pfister worked on the staff of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill’s interior design department for 15 years. It was during this period that he created the Pfister Lounge Collection for Knoll, with production beginning in 1971.