Tag: street-furniture | ArchDaily

Prototype Architectural Battery Turns Public Space Into Urban Energy Storage in Ontario, Canada

Antonia Piñeiro — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 05:30:00 +0000

Against a backdrop of climate change, inflation, and armed conflict, the global energy system is undergoing change and facing scrutiny. As stated by the United Nations, buildings must be heated, lit, and electrified through clean, accessible, affordable, sustainable, and reliable power sources. Architecture and urban planning can contribute both to expanding energy access and to exploring different forms of storage. The Toronto-based startup Civic Grid designs and builds energy storage systems with the aim of changing the relationship communities have with the electrical power behind everyday life. Their first architectural battery was designed as public architecture by architects Jack Self and Josh Harskamp with industrial designer Max Fine. The prototype is the evolution of a deployable energy system developed with Lisbon Civil Defence for the Lisbon Architecture Triennale 2025, still in operation, and is paired with a scale model.

The Safety of Light: A Short History of Light in Public Spaces

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 07:30:00 +0000

The simple activity of taking a walk in the evening can easily turn from a relaxing leisurely activity to a dangerous endeavor by removing just one element from the streetscape: public lighting. While not often recognized as defining aspect of urban environments, artificial illumination has played an essential role in defining the character of modern cities. Crime control, the appeal of nightlife, the rise of the shop window, revolutionary movements, utopias, and ideals of social equity are all concepts whose development is tightly linked to the history of public lighting. Technological advancements over the past centuries have continuously shaped the appearance and symbolism of streetlamps. Still, the this element has remains a constant throughout its history.

How to Design a Sidewalk? The Key Role of Street Furniture

Giovana Martino — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 06:30:00 +0000

If the pavement of a sidewalk is a key element for the flow organization, the urban furniture chosen to compose the public space is responsible for the qualification of the place, creating more friendly spaces. Dumpsters, flowerbeds, signposts, benches, lighting, bike racks and so many others help transform a space that, despite being just a pass-through, is also the only public space in most cities.

Local Collective Imagines Seating Made from Clay for London's Railway Station

Christele Harrouk — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 06:30:00 +0000

Local Collective has designed a seating made of clay for the London Festival of Architecture and Network Rail. Unveiled at London Bridge Station, the urban furniture is a result of a “competition organized by the LFA and Network Rail to create public installations that celebrate London’s shared spaces and connect people with playful encounters”.

The Gastro Safe Zone: A Public Space Proposal that Considers Social Distancing Measures

Christele Harrouk — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 06:30:00 +0000

HUA HUA Architects has imagined a proposal that can reconcile people and public spaces, post Covid-19. The Gastro Safe Zone program aims to awaken stagnant gastronomic businesses by regulating outside eating and ensuring the required social distancing measures. The first prototype has been already installed in the streets of Brno in the Czech Republic.

Call for Ideas - Pocket Seat Design Competition 2018

Rene Submissions — Mon, 05 Mar 2018 16:40:00 +0000

In today’s crowded world, the aspect of finding comfortable seating in a public arena is a major part of one’s daily activities. A comfortable seating in public helps one relax and reduce fatigue. This social activity, however, may vary with each individual and the kind of space he/she occupies. Most importantly, the nature of the seat ought to cater to every individual irrespective of their age, size or gender. The act of seating is an opportunity for many to boost inter-personal communication and encourage social and cultural bonding between individuals.

Storytelling Street Furniture Featured in URBE 2016

Alyssa Wu — Sat, 17 Dec 2016 16:00:00 +0000

From the 4-6 of November, the Mediterranean Real Estate Fair, URBE 2016, featured an installation by São Paulo architect and urban planner Guto Requena. The public artwork, entitled “Can you tell me a secret?” is a collection of temporary street furniture: a phone booth that records visitors’ stories and plays them back randomly into five wooden benches.