Silver Street Furniture Design · 2025
Arisa Bench
- A' Design Award 2025 Silver Winner in Street Furniture Design
- Awarded April 15, 2025
- CLIENT: Rokam
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 42,248
- Verification code 8EB00A5495 · Verify this award
About Arisa Bench
Arisa is a modular bench designed for public spaces. The bench is made of lightweight recycled concrete with added stone material, which provides strength while keeping the weight low. Proportions follow the golden ratio, and varied heights allow children to climb, teenagers to gather and adults to rest. The curved form encourages conversation between people of different ages. Several units can be arranged in different configurations, and the bench suits both outdoor and indoor settings. Each unit measures 600 by 600 by 1800 mm.
Arisa Bench by Pedro Fernández Cortina emerges from a rich tradition of sculptural furniture design that reconceptualizes public seating as an opportunity for aesthetic engagement and social choreography within shared urban spaces. This work participates in a lineage extending from the organic modernism of mid-twentieth century masters through contemporary explorations of biomorphic form language in civic design, suggesting affinities with the sculptural investigations of Isamu Noguchi while asserting its own distinctive formal vocabulary. The technical achievement lies in the sophisticated modulation of a unified material mass into varied seating topographies, the stepped platforms and cylindrical terminals offering multiple orientations and postures for users while maintaining compositional coherence as a singular sculptural object. The chromatic restraint, employing what appears to be natural concrete or reconstituted stone in warm cream tones, allows the formal complexity to command attention without chromatic distraction, while the matte surface texture invites tactile engagement and weathers gracefully within outdoor environments. The designer demonstrates particular sensitivity to the phenomenological dimension of public furniture, creating forms that suggest geological formations or eroded architectural fragments, thereby embedding the functional object within broader natural and cultural reference systems. The irregular silhouette, avoiding symmetrical predictability, generates visual interest from multiple viewing angles and encourages circumambulation, transforming the bench from static object into spatial event. The interplay between the organic seating form and the geometric metal grid visible in the background establishes a productive tension between nature and artifice, spontaneity and order, that enriches the visual experience. One might consider how this work addresses the increasingly recognized importance of beauty and contemplation within public infrastructure, proposing that everyday functional objects can serve simultaneously as occasions for aesthetic pleasure and collective gathering.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The Arisa bench redefines street furniture by combining aesthetics and functionality in a piece sculpted from Rokam, a type of recycled concrete known for its durability and elegance. Designed by architect Pedro Fernandez Cortina, this bench reflects his innovative approach and desire to transform the way people interact with public spaces.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 600 mm x 600 mm x 1800 mm
- Tags
- bench, concrete, industrial design, sustainable furniture, interaction in public spaces, adaptable furniture, structural innovation, outdoor design, urban landscape, multifunctional furniture, multifunctional furniture
- Production Technology
- Rokam, our material is manufactured by adding stone material to our mix, resulting in a natural, lightweight and resistant cultured stone. This allows us to create a wide variety of shapes, finishes and geometries, thanks to its unique properties and weight-to-strength ratio.
- Design Challenge
- The biggest challenge in designing the Arisa bench was to balance aesthetics and functionality. Creating an object that would encourage social interaction in the public space without compromising the durability of the material was key. In addition, there were technical hurdles in working with lightweight concrete, as it had to maintain its strength without the traditional internal structure. This was compounded by production constraints and challenges in exploring organic forms that would invite use and social interaction.
- Project Duration
- This product started with 1:10 scale prototypes in 2022 and was launched to the public at the Mextropoli festival in CDMX in September 2024. Where it was presented in the center of the CDMX and in a space called Laguna.
- Operation Flow
- The Arisa bench is designed to create a meeting space in public environments. Its curved shape invites social interaction, encouraging a natural conversation among those who use it. Made of lightweight concrete, it adapts to both exteriors and interiors, offering versatility in its use. Its modular design allows various pieces to be arranged to form different configurations. It is a piece that invites to be touched, used and enjoyed intuitively, making the environment come alive through the furniture.
- Research
- Our research included an exhaustive analysis of the urban furniture available in the market, identifying the lack of options in Mexico that encourage social interaction. We observed that many existing benches do not invite dialogue or coexistence between people of different ages and backgrounds. Through observation methods and surveys, we designed the Arisa bench, designed for everyone, from children to seniors, promoting an accessible and comfortable space. We used 3D modeling tools and lightweight concrete to ensure durability and aesthetics. The results confirm that Arisa not only improves interaction in public space, but also responds to an urgent need for urban furniture in our country.
- Inspiration
- Inspired by the golden ratio, Arisa features different heights that invite diverse interactions. Children can climb and play, teenagers find a social meeting point, and adults enjoy a comfortable place to rest and connect. More than just a bench, Arisa is a sculptural piece designed to blend into urban environments, fostering a sense of community. Its modular design ensures adaptability across various spaces, offering long-term durability and flexibility.
- Image Credits
- Monserrat Castro
Colors of Arisa Bench
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