Design by Johnston Marklee, 2025
Continuing Knoll’s long-standing tradition of collaborating with visionary designers, the Biboni Sofa is a sculptural piece created by Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee of the acclaimed architecture firm Johnston Marklee. Reflecting their architectural philosophy, Biboni interacts with the human body in the same way their buildings interact with space—through volumes, voids, and curves.
Biboni’s silhouette is unmistakably architectural: soft scallops and plush folds come together in a voluminous, anthropomorphic form that embraces the sitter. The result is a sofa that strikes a poetic balance—inviting yet structured, informal yet elegant. It offers a tactile experience that’s both relaxing and engaging, holding the body in a soft, upright position that encourages conversation, contemplation, or repose.
Thoughtfully conceived to function as both an object and a spatial element, Biboni is designed to shine in the round. It floats gracefully in a room, independent of walls or corners, and plays well as part of a larger composition within a space. As Sharon Johnston puts it:
“It wants to be a good friend. We like that it can be giving in that way.”
Key Features
- A warm, sculptural design that welcomes the body with precisely placed folds and soft contours.
- Offers a unique combination of support and plushness—relaxed yet attentive.
- Its playful, bulbous form feels approachable and joyful, while refined tailoring and a scalloped silhouette bring a sense of timeless elegance, recalling the stature of a classic Chesterfield.
Construction
- Seat: Constructed from wood and wood derivatives, padded with flexible polyurethane foam in varied densities for maximum comfort.
- Upholstery: Lined with polyester fiber and finished in a non-removable bi-stretch fabric.
- Backrest & Armrests: Feature a metal structural core, padded with molded flexible polyurethane foam and finished in matching bi-stretch fabric.
- Feet: Fitted with plastic glides to ensure stability and protect flooring.
Finishes
Biboni introduces three exclusive new fabrics, developed specifically to enhance its distinctive form and character.
Dimensions
- Two-Seat Sofa: 220 cm W × 104 cm D × 76 cm H
- Three-Seat Sofa: 308 cm W × 104 cm D × 76 cm H
- Four-Seat Sofa: 396 cm W × 104 cm D × 76 cm H
- Three-Seat Sofa with Right/Left Chaise Longue: 308 cm W × 176 cm D × 76 cm H
- Four-Seat Sofa with Right/Left Chaise Longue: 396 cm W × 176 cm D × 76 cm H
About the designer
Los Angeles-based architectural firm Johnston Marklee was founded by Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee in 1998. Curved and scalloped forms are native to their work, which includes the Vault House in Oxnard, California; Pavilion of Six Views in Shanghai, China; and Dropbox Global Headquarters in San Francisco, California.
For architects Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee, putting furniture pieces together in a room is akin to putting buildings together to form a city. “Whenever we’re designing environments, it’s about the relationship between objects in the room, how you move in it, and occupy it,” they say. “Furniture is connected to the building as a part of the architecture.”
Their firm, Johnston Marklee, was founded in Los Angeles in 1998. Since then, they’ve designed a custom series of benches and tables to complement their architectural vision for the Menil Drawing Institute in Houston, Texas, as well as other built-ins for architectural commissions, including the Knoll Store in West Hollywood, California. Yet, their Biboni™ Sofa marks the first time the duo puts a piece of furniture into production. The design draws on Johnston and Lee’s ongoing investigations of the presence of forms in space, how space structures itself into volumes, voids, and curvatures, and how light and shadow can sculpt forms.
Johnston Marklee has completed a diverse portfolio of buildings in a career spanning almost three decades, including Vault House in Oxnard, California, Pavilion of Six Views in Shanghai, China, and Dropbox Global Headquarters in San Francisco, California. Their work can be found in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Menil Collection, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Carnegie Museum of Art, and the Architecture Museum of TU Munich.
