Cleverly designed street furniture

Date published 14 October 2015

Street and park furniture is much more than just a place to sit down. Many street furniture designs artistically incorporate concepts and motifs from history and culture. Here are our top three favourite designs from New Zealand.

Project Plim

Matau Public Furniture was tasked with designing pieces of street furniture that both serve the needs of residents and visitors, and reflect the town of Plimmerton’s unique history. The result was this fusion of contemporary flair and traditional symbols, inspired by Maori fishing tools. The pointed concrete ends represent the sharp points of the hook, while the wooden panelling resembles the rope coiled around it.

SEART Park

The South Eastern Arterial (SEART) motorway overpass presented an interesting challenge to landscape architecture and urban design office Isthmus, to not only turn a cold and dark concrete bridge into a bright and positive feature of the area, but also to find a solution that would work during both day and night.

Slim, vibrantly coloured poles of varying heights provide a contrast to the grey, functional uniformity of the bridge’s support columns. The poles infuse the space with a spark of energy, and sleek street furniture seats let people sit and appreciate an area they’re used to simply passing by.

Sundial Square

This exhilarating revitalisation of Richmond’s town square brings life and colour to a previously sparse area. The fountains represent the Tasman District’s seven aquifers, and at night are lit up with LED light shows. Comfortable park benches run the length of the water feature, and as a result, the area sees much more foot traffic from shoppers.

More clever designs

Looking for more inspiration? Check out these five incredible street furniture designs we’ve found from around the world. Feel free to browse Urban Effects’ range of street furniture to start putting together your own design.