Skateable Furniture

By Regine
on October 10, 2005 8:25 AM

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Tom Hawes' project "came about by recognizing skateboarding as an unstoppable urban pathology."

Skateable Furniture is a range of benches that encourage skateboarding as a positive activity for youth to regenerate public spaces. The seven benches fit together in many different combinations, and the low back and fortified steel edges allow for many possibilities in terms of "skate-ability". The benches draw on the visual language of London and are designed to blend into both traditional and modern spaces.

"By virtue of its status as a misuse of public space, and because it is a symptom of defensive design, skateboarding is exceptionally good at drawing attention to the quietly exclusionary nature of modern public space," explains Hawes. "Older children and young adults are either not considered in urban planning or outright excluded from public spaces. Skateboarders add value to many unused public spaces and regulate possibly dangerous spaces with their presence."

"The design of public spaces needs to respond to the uses of it by the public. If young people are using these spaces for positive activities like skateboarding, then the design of these spaces needs to evolve alongside these new uses, not discourage and criminalize, alienating and socially excluding the youth."

Picture courtesy of the designer (tmhdesign AT hotmail DOT com).

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» Skateable Furniture from republish

Go to “We make money not art” to read more about the skateable furniture by Tom Hawes. “Skateable Furniture is a range of benches that encourage skateboarding as a positive activity for youth to regenerate public spaces. The seven b... Read More

» Skateable Furniture from Industrial Brand Creative

Check out Tom Hawes' project Skateable Furniture over at We make money not art.... Read More

» Skateable Furniture from Industrial Brand Creative

Check out Tom Hawes' project Skateable Furniture over at "We make money not art".... Read More

» Daily Click 10.12.05 from My Aim Is True

I want this book: Working Spaces. Modern contemporary home office design. Inspiration! Color trends. Proving to everyone, everywhere that I am so ahead of my time. I was trying to get them to use orange, chartreuse and brown in LAST... Read More

» Daily Click 10.12.05 from My Aim Is True