If one could think that a swing is reserved only for children’s pleasure and a rocking chair a concept for grandparents, ‘Rocking Swing’ by Tobias Nickerl and Clara Rivière proposes the dynamics of both furnitures to bring intergenerational fun. The furniture for in- and outdoor use is a hybrid of a swing and a rocking chair designed to generate a playful double-movement – you can rock, you can swing, you can do both at the same time, as your body coordinates what the chair will do with it.
The design of the ‘Rocking Swing’ takes details from the language of both objects – the rocking chair and the swing – combines it in a subtle way to break it down to the essential. Clear lines invite the user to understand the functions: the seat in leather is hanging with ropes from the metallic main frame to allow swinging, while the frame itself is formed to have blades and generate a gentle rocking movement. The orange colored ropes, that you could find on any children’s swing, are holding the seat by knots and are joyful elements to identify the movement. Every element of the design has a clear function and is combined in a minimal way, so that the use of screws or other external tools could be avoided.
Info and images © Tobias Nickerl
