Landscape Architect Articles

Swing, Lie Down, Curl Up, Straddle, Sit Up...08-20-13 | News

Swing, Lie Down, Curl Up, Straddle, Sit Up . . .

Steel pipes and rejected fire hoses form alternative seating/play elements for this public space in Copenhagen, Denmark. The hoses can be easily moved to other slots on the frame to change the seating configurations.

Considering how predictable seating is in public space, designers Jair Straschnow and Gitte Nygaard have created "OFF GND" to have a little fun with seating.

The designers began with the idea that seating in public spaces doesn't have to be about rigid benches or chairs. Why not introduce some fun? After all, they note, play is free; play is freedom; play is essential to our well-being; and play doesn't have to only be associated with children. The result is "seating play elements."

With recycled fire hoses and a steel frame, the designers created fun with seating. The hoses can be moved to different positions on the bars, altering the seating configurations from lying hammock-like, curled up like a cocoon, or seated in a more traditional upright position. Of course who says you have to "sit." You can lie across the hoses, or straddle them"?(R)?or, well, use your imagination.

Designers Jair Strashnow and Gitte Nygaard have been living and working in Amsterdam, the Netherlands since 1999. They both run independent studios, and have been working together on various projects in public space all over the world, from South Africa (Johannesburg and Durban), to Rio de Janeiro, Brussels and Amsterdam.