Peter Opsvik
| Peter Opsvik | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Peter Opsvik 25 March 1939 Stranda, Norway |
| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Years active | 1965–present |
| Known for | Tripp Trapp, Nomi high chair, Capisco the saddle chair, Credo, H05, different Balans chairs |
| Website | Opsvik.no |
Peter Opsvik is a Norwegian industrial designer best known for his innovative and ergonomic chairs, and the father of Jazz bass player Eivind Opsvik. Opsvik’s furniture can be found under the brand names: (Garden), Nomi High Chair, Håg (Capisco, H04, H05, Conventio Wing), Varier (different Balans® chairs), (Tripp Trapp) Naturellement (Reflex), Cylindra (Furniture objects) and Moment (Globe). His book Rethinking Sitting came out in 2009 giving insight into his thinking about sitting and explaining the philosophy behind his chairs. Peter Opsvik is also a jazz musician. He has been a member of Christiania Jazz band from 1972 and the band Christiania 12 from 1993.
Peter Opsvik has worked from both ends of the spectrum of Scandinavian Design. At one end, rational and ergonomic aspects are in focus – taking care of the human body’s requirements, while at the other end of the spectrum the most important criterion is expression. With the rational, ergonomic products, Opsvik’s goal is to move the human body. With the other group of products, which he call "objects", his aim is to move the emotions.
Peter Opsvik has attempted to overcome stereotypical sitting habits with his unconventional seating solutions. In the 1970s many experts on ergonomics attempted to establish one correct sitting posture. Peter Opsvik’s contribution has been to create products that inspire variation between many different postures while using the same chair.
Opsvik questioned the notion of body support as a necessity for comfortable sitting by asking if freedom can be as important as support; freedom to move and find alternative sitting postures. Creating sitting solutions that inspire movement and variations of posture can be seen as a key factor in his work. He uses different concepts to achieve dynamic sitting. Common to them all is the fact that being in balance inspires movement as well as control.
According to Opsvik the feet are the ignored extremities of ergonomics. As our feet and legs have the responsibility for moving us in all situations it seemed natural for Opsvik to make sure that the chair respond to and is controlled by the feet.
His probably best known work is the adjustable Tripp Trapp (1972) chair for children, the first chair that "grows" with the child from toddler to teenager. It is manufactured by the company Stokke and has sold in more than seven million copies. In 2013 he launched the new high chair "Nomi" which is the result of his vision - designing the worlds best high chair. On his 75th birthday (25 March) it was announced that Nomi high chair has won the Red Dot awards "grand prix" - the "Red Dot - Best of best".
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Wikipedia