Davis Allen

American architect and designer (1916–1999)

For the American football player, see Davis Allen (American football).

Davis Allen

Born| (1916-07-13)July 13, 1916

Ames, Iowa, United States

Died| May 13, 1999(1999-05-13) (aged 81)

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Alma mater| Brown University
National Swedish Institute for Building Research
Yale School of Architecture
Occupation(s)| Architect
Interior designer
Furniture designer

Davis Allen (July 13, 1916 – May 13, 1999) was an American architect, interior, and furniture designer. He was noted as a pioneer in the design of interior corporate environments and had a forty-year tenure at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.[1]

## Life and career

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Davis Brewster Allen was born in Ames, Iowa and then lived in Illinois. He was educated at Brown University, the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, and the Yale School of Architecture. He served in the US Army during World War II.[1][2][3]

After first working at Knoll, and then with the architectural firm Harrison & Abramovitz, he moved to Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in 1950. He became a partner in 1965, and remained at SOM until his retirement in 1990.[1] Paola Antonelli of the Museum of Modern Art described Allen's "contribution to defining the modern office" as "enormous".[4]

In 1983 he designed the "Andover" chair for Stendig International.[5] After Stendig was acquired by Burlington Industries, which eventually went out of business, this design was reintroduced by Knoll in 1993 as the "Exeter" chair.[3] Allen also designed furniture for Steelcase, GF, Stow Davis, Bernhardt, and Hickory Business Furniture.[3]

David Rowland, the designer of the 40/4 chair, gives credit to Allen, who "liked the design and immediately" and "put me in touch with GF", the 40/4 chair's eventual manufacturer.[6][7]

In 1985, Allen was inducted into the Interior Design Magazine Hall Of Fame.[2][8][1]

Examples of Allen's designs are in held in museums such as the Art Institute of Chicago, sought by collectors, and sold for large sums at auction.[9][10]

## Publications

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* Slavin, Maeve (1990). Davis Allen: 40 Years of Interior Design at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. New York: Rizzoli. ISBN 9780847812554.
* Banham, Joanna (1997). Encyclopedia of Interior Design. Milton Park, UK: Routledge. ISBN 9781884964190.

## References

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1. ^ a b c d Pace, Eric (May 23, 1999). "Davis Allen, 82, a Designer Of Modern Business Interiors". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
2. ^ a b "Davis B. Allen: 1985 Hall of Fame Inductee". Interior Design. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
3. ^ a b c "Davis Allen | Knoll". Knoll Inc. Archived from the original on 2022-11-08. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
4. ^ Antonelli, Paola (2001). Workspheres: Design and Contemporary Work Styles. Museum of Modern Art. p. 27\. ISBN 9780810962170.
5. ^ Slesin, Suzanne (January 19, 1984). "HOME BEAT". Archived from the original on July 29, 2018. Retrieved July 29, 2018 – via NYTimes.com.
6. ^ "Re/Wind: David Rowland's Howe 40/4". livingedge.com.au. Archived from the original on 2023-12-10. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
7. ^ Von, Robinson (December 2004). "99% Perspiration". Metropolis: 149.
8. ^ "Interior Design | Hall of Fame Designer – Mr. Davis Allen". Archived from the original on 2008-05-23. Retrieved 2008-11-26.
9. ^ "Davis Brewster Allen". The Art Institute of Chicago. 1916. Retrieved 2024-10-14.
10. ^ "DAVIS ALLEN, lounge chair from the Inland Steel Company Building, Chicago". www.wright20.com. 31 March 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2024.

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States

Artists|

* ULAN
* 2

Other|

* SNAC