Gravity Balans Lounge Chair in Black Leather & Plywood by Peter Opsvik for Varier, 1990s

Model · Gravity Balans
Designer · Peter Opsvik
Manufacturer · Varier
Origin · Norway
Period · 1990s
Style · Scandinavian Modern / Postmodern
Materials · Bent beech plywood, leather
Colour · Black

Object

Gravity Balans does not really have a single way of being a chair. Its long bentwood runners allow the entire structure to move with the body, shifting from an upright seat into a reclined position until the legs rise above the heart and the sitter seems almost weightless.

Opsvik designed Gravity Balans as a challenge to the idea that sitting should mean remaining still. The chair rocks, tilts and changes its relationship with gravity as the body moves through it. Bent beech creates one continuous sweeping structure while black leather marks the points where the body meets the chair. It looks unusual because the idea behind it is unusual: furniture should adapt to us, rather than asking us to adapt to furniture.

Designer

Peter Opsvik (1939–2024) spent much of his career questioning something most designers had simply accepted: the way people sit. Rather than searching for one perfect posture, he believed the body needed movement, variation and the freedom to continually change position.

That idea produced some of Norway's most unconventional furniture. Chairs became rocking structures, kneeling supports, saddles and balancing devices, often using bent wood to follow movements that conventional seating tried to prevent. Gravity Balans is perhaps the most complete expression of that thinking — less a fixed chair than an instrument for exploring what sitting could become.

Manufacturer

Varier grew from the Norwegian tradition of ergonomic seating, building its identity around furniture designed for movement rather than static posture. Its collection brought together some of the country's most experimental ideas about the relationship between furniture and the human body.

Peter Opsvik's designs became central to that world. Gravity Balans embodies the philosophy particularly clearly: bent wood, carefully positioned supports and a rocking structure work together to create a chair whose form changes continuously with the person using it.

Condition

The bent beech plywood frame and black leather seating remain original and are preserved in excellent vintage condition. Both the wooden structure and leather show only minimal traces of age and previous use, leaving the chair in a nearly new vintage state. As with any authentic vintage piece, subtle traces of time may be present, adding to its history and individual character.

Dimensions

Width · 73 cm / 28.7 in
Depth · 135 cm / 53.2 in
Height · 120 cm / 47.3 in
Seat height · 46 cm / 18.1 in

The angle of the chair changes with the sitting position, allowing the body to move between upright and deeply reclined configurations.

Included

The lounge chair is accompanied by a Back to the Furniture Certificate of Originality, a Back to the Furniture flyer, a Thank You card and a small gift.

Availability

The lounge chair can be ready to ship within 5 workdays.

Shipping

Worldwide shipping is available. Every piece is carefully prepared and packed for international transport. Shipping costs are calculated according to destination at checkout, with tracking provided after dispatch.

Enquiries

For questions about the piece, its condition, shipping, delivery or any other details, please get in touch. Additional information is always available before purchase.

© Back to the Furniture