The Humble Public Bench Gets a Dramatic Makeover

The public bench has long been a mediator between cities and their citizens. A pleasant, functional park seat communicates to pedestrians that they're welcome to linger, to treat public spaces like communal living rooms. Just as often, though, cities have been accused of deploying intentionally uncomfortable street furniture, angular benches with unnecessary guardrails dividing them to dissuade homeless loiterers and overnight guests. This second class of benches communicates something quite the opposite to residents: Move along, you're not welcome here.

Imagine, then, what the whimsical, inventive bench pictured above says about the city of Boston. The WA Chair – as designer Katsuya Arai calls it – was one of 20 bench prototypes selected this week in a design competition supported by the city and run by the Design Museum Boston. The winning designers have the next month (and $750) to fabricate full-sized versions of their "street seats," to be placed in April around the Fort Point Channel in Boston's rapidly redeveloping "Innovation District."