History of the balans®chair
This page looks back at the history of the balans®chair, from the origins of balance theory to its involvement with the Balans Lab.
1976
The Beginning of the balans®chair
Hans Christian Mengshoel, Norwegian, flashed into his idea of sitting in a balanced position that made the back straight with no strain on the body. So he started to research with Odd Veie Rosvoll to develop the world's first balancing Chair named
"balans®NIPPON." Then, finally, it was possible to achieve a posture similar to the Japanese sitting upright in a balans®chair.
Photo: Hans Christian Mengshoel
1978
Mr. Mengshoel enlists three designers in the development.
Advocate Hans Christian Mengshoel asked three furniture designers (Oddvin Rykken, Peter Opsvik, and Svein Gusrud) to design and develop products based on the balans® concept.
1979
New sitting style by the balans®chair
The balans®chair presented "another way to sit, balans®" at the "Scandinavian Furniture Fair" in Copenhagen.
1980
Commercialized in many variations
Various balance chairs put commercialized in the collections of four Norwegian manufacturers
1984
Received SAS Export Pioneer Award
Balans AS received the SAS Export Pioneer Award.
1986
Received the Jacob Prize
The "balans Group" (H.C.Mengshoel, O.Rykken, P.Opsvik, S.Gusrud) was awarded the Jacob Prize.
1988
Product Marketing Service International(current : Balans Lab Co., Ltd.) distributes the balans®chair throughout Japan.
Shigeyasu Sakamoto (founder of Sakamoto house) meets the balans®chair at the Norwegian Embassy in Japan and begins promoting the balans®Easy throughout Japan.
1996
Balans Management AS established
Balans Management AS was founded in 1996 to become a company that would develop a new generation of balans®chair for licensed balans® manufacturers. Before that, Hans Christian Mengschoel, an advocate of the balancing Chair and owner of the balans® trademark, and Oddvin Rykken, designer of the first balancing chair, agreed to revive their cooperation on balans®. They decided that the balance chair would appear under the following names.
2005
The balans®chair exhibited at Northern Lights to
commemorate the 100th anniversary of
Norway-Japan Friendship.
Left: With His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hakon of Norway and Norwegian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Japan, Mr. Åge B. Gruttle / At the opening reception of EXTREME NORTH - Norwegian Design Today, celebrating 100 years of Norway-Japan Friendship, Crown Prince Hakon praised the sales expansion of The balans®chair to date.
2013
Balans Management and Product Marketing Services
/current:Balans Lab Co., Ltd.(Sakamoto house/current:
Balans Lab) signed a license manufacturing agreement for the balans®chair.
Balans Management and Product Marketing Service (Sakamoto house/ current : Balans Lab) sign a licensing agreement for the production of balans®chairs.
2013
Sakamoto House(current : Balans Lab) brand receives high praise from Balans Management
Hans Christian Mengshoel/Balans Management highly evaluates Sakamoto House(current : Balans Lab) brand balans®chairs' high quality and functionality.
2021
Brand Name of Sakamotohouse changes to Balans Lab
Simultaneously with the brand name change, the company name is changed to Balans Lab Co., Ltd. For details of the change, click here.
【 Patents 】Several patents and designs registered for the balans®chair (balans®).
- Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim Museum of Crafts
- Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, New York
- Victoria and Albert Museum, London
- La Biennale di Venezia
- The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo