‘Street Seats’ redraws public bench

Published 12:00 am Monday, August 13, 2018

Outdoor seats don’t have to be boring or unsightly.

Check out the designs at “Street Seats: Urban Benches for Vibrant Cities,” a six-month outdoor exhibition of sustainable and innovative urban furniture at World Trade Center, 121 S.W. Salmon St.

Presented by Design Museum Portland, Portland General Electric and World Trade Center, it’s a reimagination of the public bench; designs from Portland, California, New York, Massachusetts, Iowa, Italy, Gibraltar, the United Kingdom, Finland and Hong Kong were selected for the exhibit.

The exhibit is part of a judged contest to determine the top three finalists.

Says a news release: “As cities become increasingly dense, leaders are focused on developing urban spaces that employ creative functionality while preserving identity and celebrating culture. ‘Street Seats’ activates the visibility and livability of an urban area while being socially and environmentally conscious.”

There are upcoming public events:

• “Design Museum Mornings: The Giving Seat,” 8:30 a.m. Sept. 14. Designers discuss inspiration, process and creation behind the unique benches.

• Kids workshop: “Build Your Own Bench,” 10 a.m. Sept. 22. Aspiring designers learn more about street seats and imagine their own public bench.

• Unite panel discussion: “Reimagine the Urban Experience,” 6 p.m. Oct. 11. Industry experts discuss what it means to activate visibility and livability of an urban area while being socially and environmentally conscious.

For more: http://www.designmuseumportland.org/streetseats.