Garden Benches
Outdoor benches in tropical Balau wood
Design & Produced for Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

When Gardens by the Bay commissioned us to design outdoor public benches for the entire park, we knew immediately we are put to the test of designing for harsh conditions – extreme tropical weathering and unpredictable human usage.

We established an understanding with the client that the benches have to be robust and comfortable, easy to maintain and safe. And of course, they have to be substantial in aesthetics. We studied locations where benches are needed, and ways to introduce seatings that are specific to these locations. It was obvious that we were trying to differ from the archetype of standard park benches.

As a result, we produced eight different designs, multiplied to fill various locations. The different benches follow a coherent design vocabulary throughout the park, yet each design possesses its own character that is in harmony to its immediate surroundings. The benches were constructed with Balau wood planks, that array along various profiles of the metal frames. The wooden planks are rounded at all edges, which makes it sturdier to withstand knocks and abuse, and definitely soft to touch.