Looped In
2013 / Philadelphia, PA
SOCIAL SEATING
This winning competition entry for a pop-up social seating system plays with the normative language of urban park benches, amplifying it into something unexpected. Looping canopies wrap up from a typical wood-slat bench seat and back down again to form a second bench facing the first. The reconfigurable modular design creates many opportunities for interactive seating as well as built-in shade coverage for urban locations lacking natural protection from the sun.
AMPLIFIED ACTIVITY
The scale and position of each pair of opposing benches encourages a differing level of interaction between people sitting on opposite sides of the loop. The three modules vary from a typical upright bench to a fully reclined chaise, allowing for comfortable, ergonomic use in many settings. Canopy slat spacing ranges from a minimal gap to 50% open, providing visitors with choices for shade coverage and visual porosity. Multiple configurations offer further potential interrelationships across modules.
FAB FRAME
Local fabrication shop EnMotion completed the welded steel frame, primarily composed of 1-1/2" diameter steel channel, and clad it with 1X2” stained wood slats. The torqued nature of the form required a weighted steel base below each bench, with ground bolting options to provide stability in permanent locations.
POP-UP TO PERMANENT
Originally commissioned by University City District, the first installation was composed of three loops, each small and light enough to be relocated and repositioned in multiple configurations in reaction to site constraints. The loops have occupied prominent locations in Philadelphia, including at The Porch adjacent to the main railroad station as well as Clark Park and Drexel Park in West Philadelphia. More recently, a white-and-green painted version was commissioned to provide permanent plaza seating in front of the Cira Centre in University City.
