Bench Gang

Bench Gang are a playful family of benches that thoughtfully blur the boundaries between elegance & playfulness, maturity & immaturity, letting the imagination run free!

Research & exploration into mental health & the benefits of play inspired Bench Gang. Bench Gang are a personal expression of play, & the entire creative process of Bench Gang acted as a therapeutic exercise for the designers.

2nd Prize WINNER of Pure Talents Contest, IMM Cologne, 2019

Bench Gang harmonise the nature of their material with the design. From the unrefined nature of softwood, the Lego-like joints holding the benches together, to the coloured ends & feet inspired by the brightly coloured end grain at timber yards; all the design elements convey characteristics & the excitement of creative play: embracing imperfections & letting the imagination run free!

Bench Gang are infused with a sense of imagination & spirit. The aim of this project was not to create a specifically playful object, but rather to enjoy the physical & mental process of play & see what would result. The result was a gesture towards life - movement. A subtle heel or toe lift was enough to give the viewer a chance to create their own story!

"There’s a lot of humour here. It’s fun to have the benches in the room – a bit like having pets that come to meet you when you enter. Together they also create a good setting. It’s only wood and paint, but the design is pure and really good."

Wilfried Lembert (CEO, Minimum)

“The designer has achieved maximum effect here with very simple means.”

Johannes Huenig (Editor, SCHÖNER WOHNEN)