Architecture is important; it adds so much to the beauty of an area. Think of the great cities of the world, Paris, New York, London – walking the streets of these beautiful, vibrant places is like walking through an art gallery – the space, lines, use of beautiful materials, playing with conventions all make everyday urban landscapes a feast for the eyes.
Let’s apply that approach to designing street furniture. As designers, we have the ability to take the ordinary, the simply functional and transform it into a beautiful piece of street art.
Why mass produce just a bench seat, when with design thought and attention to detail, you can produce a piece that not only “fits” in a streetscape but adds to it. A piece of furniture that is just as enjoyable to look at as it is to use.
This approach is well established in interior design and architecture – imagine a world without a Phillipe Stark Ghost Chair, the Castiglioni Arco lamp or Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye. They take the primarily functional and transform them into iconic statements. Let’s take street furniture to the next level; using beautiful, textural materials to create interesting, non-conventional furniture to bring more value to any urban landscape.
by Gary Allan