Koro

Parametric communal bench design. A shared winner in a competition by City of Helsinki. Utilizes flexible manufacturing to create a highly customizable design.

The structure is created by CNC-bent steel pipe and wooden bars which are attached together with a consistent joint. The production method allows effective manufactury of varying shapes. The parametric design allows the silhouette to be varied to suit different locations and uses such as sunbathing, casual sitting, picnics, remote working and so on.

The brief of the competition asked for a bench that can be adapted to different neighbourhoods of Helsinki while being recognisable as the new “city bench”. The bench had to go beyond the regular park bench and create a sense of communality or have interactive elements to it. Koro is not only a single bench design, but a set of parameters which can be used to create a diverse collection of benches with the same construction.