The current global situation has brought one phrase in particular into our lives – social distancing. Designers are working on one-person seats for aeroplanes, restaurants are limiting the number of people at each table, famous companies have revamped their logos so their elements no longer touch. Has it become the dominant trend guiding design in the “coronavirus era”? And what about parks, streets and public spaces, in many places deserted, in others slowly coming back to life?
David Karásek, designer and creative director at mmcité and the creator of multiple award-winning pieces of street furniture, points out the fundamental link between the function of design and its timelessness. Thus, maintaining social distancing can mean keeping design close at hand. “Bringing quality design to cities is nothing short of a cultural mission for us. We have benches for a hundred people and for just one,” explains Karásek, “When you create a park or public space, you’re doing it for twenty years plus. It’s not about trends, it’s about quality and considered design. For us, good design and a good product mean the same thing. It has to have good functionality, high build quality, and a form which stirs up your emotions.”
For example, the Bistrot collection was designed long before restaurants moved towards socially distanced seating. Bistrot tables and subtle seats already serve brilliantly in a range of places around the world, in both classic and high configurations. Each range of mmcité street furniture contains a model for one person – Blocq, Intervera, Landscape, Landscape Compact, Limpido, Miela, Pixel, Portiqoa, Preva Urbana, Radium, Sinus, Stack, Urban Islands, Vera, Vltau, and Woody. Some have options regarding installation or electronic features, while all of them feature a choice of colours and materials. Their forms certainly do stir up your emotions. Beautiful like Helene, comfortable like Rivage, inspiring like Manta.
Getting close and making friends is human nature. Equally natural for designers is creating a product which will both function perfectly and transcend popular trends – the aesthetics of public spaces change over time. Benches, tables, and loungers look ever more like something people might keep in their living rooms. When we spend more time outdoors, space is suddenly more crowded. While before we moved from building to building in the shortest time possible, now it will be on the streets, in the parks and on city squares where we’re spending our time. And the moment it becomes possible, people will return to their favourite parks and places. We’ll be able to treasure them more than ever.
Quality and considered street furniture design has solutions for every place and every opportunity. Trends can be anticipated and created, so bench creation for mmcité is continuing at the same speed and in the same spirit. We’ve been ready for social distancing for a long time.
mmcité 1 on ARCHIPRODUCTS
