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Peter Opsvik

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Peter Opsvik
Born
Peter Opsvik

(1939-03-25)25 March 1939
Stranda, Norway
Died30 September 2024(2024-09-30) (aged 85)
NationalityNorwegian
Years active1965–2024
Known forTripp Trapp, Nomi high chair, Capisco the saddle chair, Credo, H05, different Balans chairs
WebsiteOpsvik.no

Peter Opsvik[1][2] (25 March 1939 – 30 September 2024) was 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: Rybo (Garden), Nomi High Chair, Håg (Capisco, H04, H05, Conventio Wing), Varier (Balans), Stokke (Tripp Trapp) Naturellement (Reflex), Cylindra (Furniture objects) and Moment (Globe). His book Rethinking Sitting[3] came out in 2009 giving insight into his thinking about sitting and explaining the philosophy behind his chairs. Peter Opsvik was also a jazz musician.[4] He was a member of Christiania Jazz band from 1972 and the band Christiania 12 from 1993.

Opsvik died on 30 September 2024, at the age of 85.[5][6]

Essential concepts

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His probably best known work is the adjustable Tripp Trapp (1972)[7] chair for children, the first chair that "grows" with the child[8] from toddler to teenager. It is manufactured by the company Stokke and has sold in more than seven million copies. In 2013, together with Evomove.com, he launched the Nomi high chair concept. His first chair was the Inka Star (also known as Oasis) by Stokke, launched in the late 1960s.

The saddle chair Håg Capisco was launched in the 1980s and inspired by the horseback rider's dynamic posture. The goal, however, was to create a sitting device or work chair that would invite the user to assume the greatest number of sitting postures possible. In 2010 this design classic was made accessible for a wider audience when the Capisco Puls was launched.[9]

A balancing tilt is highly advantageous since the user automatically controls the tilting movements of the chair without having to think about it. The user can concentrate on his/her activities and does not have to bother with mechanical regulation of the chair. The chair follows the natural inclinations of the body and automatically stabilises at the body's selected sitting angles or at the angles that are required by the work task being done. The simplest way of verifying this is to try out one of his chairs in front of a work table during a normal working day. The chair tilts forward when the user want to be active at the table and tilts backwards if the user wants to relax or talk on the telephone. Often such variations occur many times per minute.[10]

Hans Chr. Mengshoel initiated the concept of kneeling chair posture in Norway, and Peter Opsvik was one of three designers who developed chairs based on this principle that all had Balans in their names. The others were Oddvin Rykken, and prof. Svein Gusrud. Peter Opsvik's kneeling chairs were originally manufactured by Stokke (now Varier), Håg and Rybo. This chair has been voted one of 50 designs that changed the world.[11]

As the name Variable indicates, it was of primary importance for Opsvik that the kneeling posture should be one of many different sitting postures.[12]

Product examples are Variable Balans, Gravity Balans, Thatsit Balans, and Wing Balans.[13]

Awards

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Peter Opsvik was awarded a number of prizes for his work, including the European Commissions "Product Safety Award 2019"[14] for Nomi Highchair. Red Dot Award 2013 "Best of Best" for Nomi High chair, Red Dot award 2011 (for Capisco Puls),[15] the IF Product Design gold award 2011 (for Capisco Puls)[16] and the Norwegian Design of Excellence award 2011.[17] Opsvik was awarded The classic award for design excellence in Norway for the chairs Tripp Trapp in 1996 and Håg Capisco.[18] In 2008 he was awarded Anders Jahre's cultural award and the Nordic Design Award (Nordiska Designpriset).[19] Opsvik has also received Torsten & Wanjas Söderbergs design award[20] in Sweden for his pioneering, movable and variable furniture. In 2013 Norsk Form (The Foundation for Design and Architecture in Norway) awarded Opsvik Jacob-prisen for 2012.[21]

Exhibitions

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Peter Opsvik's furniture-objects have been exhibited around the world. Movement Peter Opsvik, a travelling exhibition initiated by the Norwegian Foreign Affairs, was exhibited at the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design (Gent) in 1999,[22] Deutsches Museum (Munich),[23] The Lighthouse (Glasgow) as well as others such as the Design Museum in London, and the Museum of Decorative Art and Design (Gothenburg). His Tripp Trapp Chair is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.[24]

Some of his other exhibitions have been shown at:

  • The West Norway Museum of Applied Art, Bergen 1996
  • Kunstlerhaus (Artisthouse) mit Galerie, Göttingen 1990
  • Gallerie V.I.A, Paris 1990
  • Applied Art Museum, Oslo 1986
  • New York, Houston, Chicago and Tokyo in 1982
  • Wien, Düsseldorf, Den Haag and London in 1981
  • Copenhagen and London 1979

References

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  1. ^ Niel Ryan (n.d.). "Norwegian Design: The Work of Furniture Designer Peter Opsvik". National College of Art and Design. Archived from the original on 24 January 2007. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  2. ^ James McLachlan (18 July 2008). "Profile article: Peter Opsvik". Onofficemagazine. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  3. ^ Robert Blinn (2 June 2009). "Book review: Rethinking Sitting, by Peter Opsvik". Core77. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  4. ^ "Concert announcement". Herrnilsen.no. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  5. ^ Andersen, Jon Even; Bjørnstad, Guro Havro (2 October 2024). "Peter Oksvik er død". borsen.dagbladet.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  6. ^ Bjerknes, Silje Steinnes (2 October 2024). "Peter Opsvik, Tripp trapp-stolens far, er død". nrk.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  7. ^ Paul May (12 November 2003). "Why I love..." Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  8. ^ Opsvik, Peter (2009). Rethinkin Sitting. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. p. 158. ISBN 978-0-393-73288-7. Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  9. ^ Opsvik, Peter (2009). Rethinking Sitting. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 26, 49, 128. ISBN 978-0-393-73288-7.
  10. ^ Opsvik, Peter (2009). Rethinking Sitting. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 77–94. ISBN 978-0-393-73288-7.
  11. ^ "Review" (PDF). H.O.M.E. September 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  12. ^ Rani Lueder (November 2010). "Ergonomics review: Balans seating". Humanics Ergonomics. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  13. ^ Opsvik, Peter (2009). Rethinking Sitting. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 49–51, 64–76. ISBN 978-0-393-73288-7.
  14. ^ "Safety Gate: The EU rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products".
  15. ^ Wenche Gerhardsen (2011). "Norwegian chair wins prizes". Aftenposten.no. Retrieved 2 September 2011.[permanent dead link]
  16. ^ "Award announcement". IFdesign.de. 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2011.[permanent dead link]
  17. ^ "Award announcement". Norskdesign.no. 2011. Archived from the original on 1 October 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  18. ^ "Award announcement". Norskdesign.no. 2001. Archived from the original on 1 October 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  19. ^ Stine Barstad (2 March 2008). "Designpris til Tripp-trapp-mannen". Aftenposten.no. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  20. ^ "Web page announcing prize". Designmuseum.se. 1998. Archived from the original on 15 May 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  21. ^ "Web page at Foundation for Design and Architecture in Norway announcing the prize".
  22. ^ "Movie from Gent exhibition". 1999. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  23. ^ "Movie from Deutsches Museum". 2002. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  24. ^ "Peter Opsvik. Tripp Trapp Chair. 1972–1973 | MoMA". The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
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