I watched the Wood Memorial horse race this past Saturday and was pleasantly stunned by the amount of heart that the come-from-behind winner, handsome “Gemologist”,  showed in his sprint at the end. Almost equally as impressive, I found, was the riding of the jockeys that barely bob atop the thoroughbreds even if galloping at full speed. (Talk about stabilizing your core muscles!) Coincidentally, the Capisco chair by HÅG mentions the difficult art of actively riding in a horse’s saddle in the thought process behind the chair’s eclectic style.

Capisco chair. Designed by Peter Opsvik. Manufactured by HÅG.

Seating Designed Like a Saddle for the Modern Education Market

“Capisco began with the dynamic seating posture of the horse rider,” writes the HÅG description. “No one sits as actively as a rider in the saddle.” Without a typical contract market, ergonomic chair appearance, it’s initially a concept that may appear a bit… funny. As if by sitting on it, you’d squish the cushioned WALL·E robot and his sweet saddle seat friend. Rest assured – by Peter Opsvik, designer of the HÅG chair – the nature of the curvaceous seat was “recreated (in) this ideal seating position for active work. You can feel the dynamics when you sit down.”

Available in many colors of leather, PVC-Free vinyl and textiles, the Capisco chair by HÅG can be custom-designed to match any educational or contract market interior setting. Since the compact design has earned the right to brag, the Capisco was awarded the “Classic Award for Design Excellence” by the Norwegian Design Council in 2001. It’s not the first time Opsvik teamed up with the team of HÅG manufacturers, however, as their collaborations date back to the mid-1970s. Thanks to Opsvik’s dedication to the design process and the evolution of HÅG’s development in ergonomics, they’ve won several prizes and have assisted in the manufacturing company’s priceless, lasting vision in the field of human ergonomics.

While we are still susceptible to picking our contract furnishings with an eye for what looks good, the Capisco chair by Peter Opsvik for HÅG allows us to see into its clairvoyant ideals that dwell on active seating and choosing the perfect color and upholstery to meet our visual demands for the contemporary class.

About the Designer: “Life is all about movement—we were not designed to sit still, but most of us spend 80 percent of our productive hours sitting down. HÅG understands the art of creating movement while you are sitting.” Due to the HÅG mentality on healthy living being intertwined with the way we sit and interact with our work or school seating, they have created holistically-designed chairs that increase blood flow and act intuitively. Beside looking after people, they also watch how they affect the environment by using post-consumer recycled materials – such as car bumpers and plaste waste – and using almost 100% recyclable materials in their products.