The first will be installed in Sneek
Translated by Thomas Ansell
As reported by the Omrop Fryslân, the Frisian architect Nynke-Rixt Jukema has responded to a call for architects and city planners to think more deeply about how the ‘1.5-metre lifestyle’ can be accommodated.
Jukema thinks that architects are too-often bonded to a specific client, whilst the current Coronavirus outbreak raises questions and challenges for architects. One of these is that both lifts and public benches are not suitable designed for the ‘1.5-metre lifestyle’.
“I would like it if we could begin to re-think urban questions about whether we should stack residences, or have more ground-floor places for people to live. How do we think about gardens and what we do with them? I think it’s very interesting to look at these questions during this time”, says Jukema.
Her new bench design is round, with a diameter of 4.5-metres. It has been inspired by traditional Frisian ‘leugenbanken’- a centrally located place with space to sit, that functioned as a place for residents to gossip, meet, and see eachother. Jukema’s new design means that people always sit at least 1.5-metres apart.
“I think that it’s important for us to talk to eachother, and that we can go outside, also at this time”, says Jukema. Her first bench, called the ‘Bank van de Nieuwe Wekelijkheid’ (‘New Reality Bench’), has been sponsored by an ICT company. Preparations are underway for a spot in the city of Sneek (Gemeente Súdwest-Fryslân) to place the bench.
You can find more about Jukema’s work on her website.
Image via Nynke Rixt-Jukema
Discussion about this post