Designed by London-based Shiro Studio for Italian brand Metalco, the Uluru bench doubles as an improved playground for children to explore spatially.
Composed of modular seating elements made of Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC), a variety of configurations can be made. The landscape is defined by the backrest supports that are upraised.
“I was interested in generating a serene form that could gently relate to the human body whilst seating in different postures and positions,” explained Andrea Morgante, founder of Shiro Studio. “Public benches have somehow the noble responsibility to connect people to the surrounding environment and in the same time to offer a comfortable rest.”
“The availability of UHPC was also a crucial factor during the design development of the Uluru collection” said Morgante. “We wanted to fully explore and challenge the vast potential of this innovative and versatile material through a form that could emphatically communicate lightness, strength and fluidity. UHPC ductal allowed us to create an incredibly light yet rigid concrete structure, just 20 millimetres thick”.
