Anker Bak’s Rocking Nest Chair for Carl Hansen & Søn Appears to Be Floating

Holger Hansen headed Carl Hansen & Søn when, in 1940, he took a chance on an unknown designer, Hans Wegner. We all know how that turned out: The historic partnership evolved through decades of changing tastes and lifestyles. Today’s CEO, Knud Erik Hansen, has proved that he inherited his father’s eye for talent-spotting by enlisting wunderkind Anker Bak. When Bak was growing up, carpentry classes helped him to focus, and his first efforts were for his own family. A rocking chair for his sister was, in fact, the basis for Rocking Nest, his spin on the age-old category. “There’s a contrast between the frame and the shell, so it appears to be floating,” he says. It’s covered in canvas or leather and supported by oak or walnut with steel reinforcements.