Knoll assembly
A panel system hides the cable inside a wall. A bench has no wall.
On benching the power runs down a spine in the middle of the group, in plain sight by design. That makes cable management a decision you make during the build rather than something you tidy up afterward, because afterward there is nowhere to tidy it to.
The architecture that replaced the cubicle
Knoll has been in open plan longer than almost anyone, and they describe four decades of it running from the first panel systems through to spine-based planning. Antenna Workspaces is the current expression of that: benching rather than partitions, built as an integrated support structure combining spine and desk archetypes, with tables linked back-to-back sharing legs to form a continuous run.
What changes for the installer is where the technology lives. A panel system conceals power and data inside a raceway in the base of a wall. Benching has no wall, so the cable management becomes a piece of furniture in its own right. The Antenna Power Beam is exactly that, a streamlined technology spine that carries power and data down the center of the group, and Knoll designed it to decouple the worksurfaces from the power structure so the two can change independently.
That has a practical consequence worth understanding before the first bay goes up. On panels you can largely fix a workstation in isolation. On a bench the run is one continuous datum, legs are shared between back-to-back tables, and a level or alignment error does not stop where you made it. It travels down the length of the bench and shows up as worksurfaces that no longer meet flush six positions away.
What it actually takes
A bench goes up quickly once the first bay is true. The first bay is the whole job.
| Model | Time | People |
|---|---|---|
| Setting out and squaring the first bayEvery following bay inherits it. | the critical hour | 2 |
| Running the spine or power beamSpring nuts in the channels, off-module. | alongside the frame | 2 |
| Adding bays along the runBack-to-back tables share legs. | fast per position | 2 |
| Electrical connection to building supplyConduit connector is theirs to supply. | licensed trade | electrician |
| Data cablingSame window as the spine going in. | with the build | data tech |
| Screens, arms, shelves and storageChannels allow off-module positions. | after the run is level | 1 to 2 |
Unlike panels, you cannot quietly correct bay four later. Get the first one right and the rest follows.
What to get right, specifically
The conduit connector comes from the electrician, not the carton
This is the detail most likely to stop a job, and it is in Knoll’s own Power Beam installation guide: the holes in the relevant brackets are sized for a conduit connector to be provided by the electrician. It is not in the box. That means it has to be on the electrician’s list before they turn up, not discovered when the beam is already mounted and everyone is waiting. Send the installation guide to whoever is doing the electrical work in advance and confirm they are bringing it.
Cable management is a design decision, not a tidy-up
There is no raceway to hide anything in. The spine carries power and data down the middle of the group by design, in view, which is part of the aesthetic and unforgiving of improvisation. Decide before the build where power drops, where devices sit, and how leads reach from the beam to each position, and route them properly as you go. Cable added as an afterthought on a bench is permanently visible in a way that the same mistake on a panel system never is.
The first bay sets every bay after it
Back-to-back tables share legs and the run behaves as one continuous structure, so squareness and level propagate. An eighth of an inch out at the first position is not an eighth of an inch out at the last. Set out the whole run before committing, check diagonals rather than just lengths, level the first bay properly against the floor rather than against the previous piece of furniture, and sight down the line as you extend. Floors in open plan offices are rarely as flat as they look.
Off-module is a feature, so use it deliberately
The beam has continuous channels in its top and sides, which Knoll describes as giving off-module freedom to position screens, task lights and worksurface supports. In other words accessories do not have to land on a fixed grid. That is genuinely useful and it also means nothing stops you putting things in slightly wrong places. Mark intended positions from the drawing rather than eyeballing them along the run, because a row of monitor arms at inconsistent heights or spacings is immediately obvious on a long bench.
Plan the returns and storage before the surfaces go down
Return surfaces can be attached at any point and extended rails support extension tops or storage cabinets, and the Template storage system is designed to work with Antenna as a storage spine that also defines the edge of a work area. All of that flexibility is easiest to use if the positions are decided up front. Deciding afterward usually means unloading a worksurface to get at a rail, which is a small job that nobody wants to do twice.
Adjustable-height positions change the cable geometry
Telescope brings independent seated-to-standing adjustment into a benching plan, which is popular and adds a consideration. Anything plugged in at a position that travels vertically needs enough slack to reach at full height, secured so it moves with the surface rather than snagging on the beam. Test the full travel with everything connected before the desk is handed over, exactly as you would on any height-adjustable desk.
Know which Knoll system you actually have
Knoll’s catalog spans several generations of open plan, from panel systems like Dividends Skyline through Reff Profiles and AutoStrada to Antenna and Power Beam, and they publish separate installation instructions for each. When extending or reconfiguring an existing installation, identify the specific system first, because components and connections do not carry across lines. Knoll is now part of MillerKnoll following the Herman Miller merger completed in 2021, which is useful for support continuity and does not change component compatibility.
Before installation day
Send the installation guide to the electrician and confirm they are supplying the conduit connector.
Decide power drop positions and cable routes from the beam to each workstation, since none of it will be concealed.
Check the floor across the whole intended run, not just where the first bay lands.
Mark accessory positions from the drawing, since the channels allow off-module placement.
Confirm return, extension and storage positions before worksurfaces are fitted.
Identify the exact Knoll system if you are extending an existing installation, since lines are not interchangeable.
Schedule the data technician alongside the build rather than after it.
Who this is really for
Organizations that have moved away from partitions and want an open floor that still handles power, data and a degree of separation. Benching does that with a fraction of the material of a panel system, and Knoll has been refining the idea for a long time.
It suits places that expect to change often. Because the power structure is decoupled from the worksurfaces and the beam can be freestanding, linkable or mobile, a bench can be rearranged without the electrical rework that moving a powered panel run implies.
The argument for a professional install is precision rather than difficulty. A bench is a simpler object than a powered panel system and far less forgiving of a sloppy start, because everything is one continuous line and the cable is on display. Somebody who has built these before spends their time on the first bay and the cable plan, which is exactly where it should go.
What an installer does
- Confirms with the electrician in advance that the conduit connector, which Knoll does not supply, is coming.
- Sets out the full run and gets the first bay square and level, since the rest inherits it.
- Runs the spine or power beam and fits channel hardware so accessories can be placed off-module cleanly.
- Plans and routes cable deliberately, because nothing on a bench is concealed.
- Coordinates the licensed electrical connection and the data cabling with the build window.
- Positions screens, arms, shelves, returns and storage consistently along the run from the drawing.
- Tests full travel on height-adjustable positions with everything connected before handover.
Get it built by someone who has built one before.
Tell us your ZIP and what you bought. Installers near you will quote you directly, and you deal with them, not with us.
Questions people ask
What is different about installing benching rather than cubicles?
There are no panels, so there is no raceway to hide power and data in. The spine carries them down the middle of the group as a visible, designed element. It also means the run behaves as one continuous structure, with back-to-back tables sharing legs, so alignment errors travel along the bench rather than staying at one workstation.
Is everything needed in the box?
Not quite. Knoll’s Power Beam installation guide notes that the relevant bracket holes are sized for a conduit connector to be provided by the electrician. It is worth sending the guide to whoever is doing the electrical work beforehand so they arrive with it.
How careful do I need to be with the first workstation?
Very. Because tables link back-to-back and share legs, the run is a single datum and any error compounds down its length. Set out the whole run first, check diagonals, and level the first bay against the floor rather than against adjacent furniture.
Can accessories go anywhere along the beam?
Largely yes. Continuous channels in the top and sides of the beam give off-module freedom to position screens, task lights and worksurface supports. That flexibility is useful, and it means positions should be marked from the drawing so heights and spacings stay consistent along a long run.
Does it work with height-adjustable desks?
Yes. Telescope brings independent seated-to-standing adjustment into benching plans. The thing to watch is cabling: anything plugged in at a position that moves needs slack to reach full height and needs securing so it travels with the surface. Test the full range with everything connected before handover.
Is Knoll still Knoll?
Yes, as a brand. Knoll became part of MillerKnoll after the merger with Herman Miller completed in 2021. That helps with support continuity but does not make components interchangeable between brands or between Knoll’s own systems, so identify the specific line when extending an existing installation.
Installers.org is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Knoll or MillerKnoll. Knoll, Antenna, Power Beam, Telescope and Template are trademarks of their owners, referred to here only to describe the installation services that independent installers on this directory provide. Electrical work is regulated; use a licensed electrician.