tobias lugmeier re-examines public furniture with wandermöbel seating

tobias lugmeier re-examines public furniture with wandermöbel seating
all images courtesy of tobias lugmeier

public seating, no matter how well considered and applied, can never please all people and situations. how, where, with whom, and why, are influenced by countless factors — both conscious and not — that affect the experience of sitting. simply put, the thinking behind conventional public accommodation design had to be re-examined; a mission which was undertaken by german industrial designer tobias lugmeier.

the color range includes various hues common in the urban environment 

‘wandermöbel’, made of rotational moulded plastic or foam PU, is his radical solution to public seating. small enough to be carried small distances, but not so tiny that it is lost within the scale of urban environments, the chair can adapt to a wide range of settings and social needs. its shape — which happens to be perfect for manufacturing — is toy-like and approachable, as well as lightweight and sturdy.

portable public furniture instigates the creation of a large range of social environments 

the seat is optimized for outdoors use in areas like parks, plazas, or high-traffic pedestrian areas. holes in each surface allow proper drainage when weather turns sour, and a large integrated handle make its affordances clear. ‘wandermöbel’ features a wide color range that, with materiality and form, allow a fusion between easy-to-see and unobtrusive. alone on a hill or with the homies at the park, ‘wandermöbel’ goes where you do, the environment is yours to create. 

in the environment 

if you don’t want to carry the seat any further, simply leave it for the next person 

public furniture has to function besides huge buildings and rough materials like concrete or stone 

the design is adapted to the aesthetics of the city 

the design balances between being hidden and noticeable

the shape is drawn from various functional objects like suitcases and protective-surface materials 

the handle highlights the seat’s mobile affordances  

sideview 

concept sketch

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions  feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: nick brink | designboom