MARS architects (neville mars) was commissioned by the BMW guggenheim lab to participate in the think tank’s long-term vision to develop interventions that would benefit our cities and greater urban environments. for their participation, the international firm focused on water concerns, creating an outdoor piece of furniture that collects and stores rainwater through functional cushions. the ‘water bench’, is an adaptable, modular design, that has been fashioned off our traditional notions of a chesterfield sofa, creating the atmosphere of an urban living room within the public realm.
the seating piece has been conceived as the first prototype in a series of small-scale solutions that aim to emphasize multi-functionality and sustainability in urban design, in this case, increasing water independence at the local level, while also encouraging social interaction. devised as a means of alleviating pressure off of already strained centralized infrastructures, the bench responds to the emergence of water-dependency in our urban landscapes, in which green space often consumes great amounts of the natural resource.
