Bench design for natural distance

The routine of social distancing due to the coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has required a change in the public nature of the city. The openness of urban space is restricted, and boundaries must be redefined. Benches installed in public spaces are basic facilities installed in various parts of urban spaces and need to be changed to keep physical distance to prevent infectious diseases, but psychological distance was designed to maintain existing social boundaries.

The bench adjusts the spacing of the 40mm wide Π frame and is divided into comfortable and non-seating parts. In the middle, the intensity of the light is great, allowing the space between to feel as if it were an invisible transparent space. The use of stainless steel, which is increasingly opaque at both ends, metaphorically shows social distance, but through a form composed of continuous frames, it prevents the feeling of separated space as much as possible due to distance.