The Breakwater Bench is a system of individual benches inspired by the lapping ebb and flow of waves. The slight shift in the repetition of a single element creates movement between the open and closed sections within the design. This simple use of geometry causes playful shadows to appear where the light filters through the structure's openings.
This configuration measures 43' in length and 6' 3" in width.
What was the brief?
We were asked to create a temporary public seat for the second floor walk through of the Palm Plaza, located in Miami's Design District, based on our already existing Breakwater bench concept developed the year before for the UNTITLED ART fair on Miami Beach. The goal was simply to double the length of our previous design to allow for more social distancing between visitors so they can enjoy the plaza's activities during the week of DesignMiami/. It remained in place for over a year and through two cycles of DesignMiami/.
What were the solutions?
By constructing the bench platform from multiple individual units, natural siting pockets or alcoves were created along the length of the continuous platform. This allowed for multiple groups of visitors to enjoy socially distance seating without over thinking their relative position from one another.
Team:
Designers: AMLgMATD
Photographer: Luis Gomez
